A Perfect Surprise
by MarigoldMusings
Summary: This began as a Tuckson Oneshot but is now a series. It features my OCs, Tucker's daughters Brooke and Sarah. These are ultra-sweet, super positive stories.
1. Chapter 1

Tuckson oneshot. Set in the very near future on the most perfect spring day anyone could possibly imagine (trying to quell my anxiety about Manhattan Transfer!). Nothing but sweetness here!

"Noah! Noah, don't go too far!"

Everyone except for Noah Benson took a break from kicking a toddler-sized soccer ball back and forth and began uncovering containers of picnic food—mini sandwiches, chips, fruit, veggies and dip, and the corner deli's best pasta salad. On an oversized blanket emblazoned with the NYPD logo sat four adults, including two police officers flouting park rules by sipping rosé from red plastic cups.

"Noah!"

Sarah jumped up and chased after Noah who weaved nimbly through the maze of families with setups similar to theirs. The four of them, Sarah, Brooke, Ed, and Olivia had been taking turns wrangling Noah over the course of the afternoon. This time, Sarah returned with the two-year-old slung under her right arm. She flipped him upside down, held him by the ankles, and swung him gently toward Olivia who deftly turned him right-side-up and into her lap.

"Ok, mister, let's have some lunch."

Noah squirmed, desperately trying to break free, "No! Ball!"

Brooke grabbed the ball and put it behind her, leaning back on it as she bit into a sandwich. "Sorry, dude, it's my backrest now," she playfully taunted him.

Noah crawled across the blanket and did his best to try and pry the ball loose, but he was outmatched. Brooke popped the last quarter of the sandwich into her mouth, wrestled Noah to the ground, and mercilessly tickled him.

Noah shrieked and wriggled with delight, "Ma! Help!" He kicked and giggled, and tried summoning another person. "Ed!" Noah kicked some more, knocking over Brooke's wine.

She stopped the tickle attack and, laughing, shrugged off the mess. "That's what I get."

As Brooke dabbed the wine puddle with a paper towel, Tucker motioned to Noah. "Come here, bud." Noah scooted over and plopped himself in Tucker's lap. "Here, have some grapes." Tucker opened a small plastic container and offered Noah his favorite fruit which the boy ate happily. Noah was perfectly capable of feeding himself, but Ed doted on him and carefully picked out items from the spread he knew he liked—grapes, turkey sandwich, and pieces of pasta with very little dressing. The kid was not a picky eater most of the time, but he did not like any type of sauce on his pasta. Noah sank comfortably into Tucker's lap and ate.

Olivia finished her own lunch, leaned back on her elbows, extended her legs, and savored the moment's bliss. New York City could not offer a more perfect day. The blue sky and the city's skyscrapers enveloped the park's visitors in an urban sanctity, a type of contentment only New York residents could fully appreciate, and those residents flocked to the park on this Saturday afternoon. The collective vibe was light and carefree—children ran and screamed, errant Frisbees were cheerfully tossed back to their owners, and strangers gladly donated extra forks or napkins or corkscrews to one another. Moments like this one sometimes triggered nervousness in Olivia because it was just _too good,_ but she resolved, today at least, to embrace her newfound happiness. On this gorgeous Saturday, she, Noah, Ed, and the girls were just another group in the park. They wore t-shirts and shorts and sneakers. The benign normalcy of it all was refreshing.

Ed's daughters decided to gift him with their presence for the weekend. The visit was a surprise for Ed and for Olivia, too. Yesterday, as she was clearing her desk for the weekend, two young ladies showed up at the precinct. They strolled in confidently, two adorable, giggling blondes, one a head taller than the other but otherwise almost identical, and Carisi was more than happy to intercept them as they looked around for someone resembling Olivia Benson.

Carisi darted over to them, "Ladies, may I help you?"

"Oh, no, well, we're not here to report a crime, sir, or…Sergeant?" The taller girl replied, then was nudged by her sister.

"He's a _detective_ ," the shorter one corrected, as if Carisi couldn't hear her.

"I'm sorry. My mistake. The desk sergeant sent us up, so, you know, I had 'sergeant' in my head," she looked at Carisi apologetically, maybe a bit flirtatiously. He thought he recognized her from somewhere, those bright blue eyes seemed familiar, but he couldn't pinpoint where he may have seen her before.

The shorter one extended her hand, "I'm Brooke Tucker, this is Sarah," she nodded in her sister's direction, "and we are here to see Olivia Benson."

" _Lieutenant_ Olivia Benson," this time, Sarah did the correcting and the nudging.

Carisi smiled, amused by the sisterly tête-à- tête, and pointed to Olivia's office. "The Lieutenant's door is open. Go ahead on back."

Sarah, clearly excited, half-walked, half-skipped, to Benson's door and simultaneously knocked and walked in. Brooke trailed her by a few steps.

"Lieutenant?"

Benson glanced up, glasses on, at the two twenty-somethings standing at her desk, beaming down at her. _Who are these two?_ Benson, in work mode, did not immediately connect the girls' faces with the photographs in Tucker's apartment. "Hello," she said curiously, craning her neck to see if Carisi was at his desk. He usually checked with her before sending in visitors.

"It's SO nice to meet you!" Sarah exclaimed, reaching out for Olivia's hand. Benson accepted the handshake, still confused and bewildered by this bubbly pair.

Brooke, the more levelheaded of the two, rescued Benson. "I'm Brooke and this is Sarah," she said with a smile, revealing perfectly straight, white teeth, "we're Ed Tucker's daughters."

"Oh! Ok!" Benson smiled and rolled her eyes at herself, slightly chagrinned, "I'm sorry, I've seen your pictures before, I just couldn't put two and two together." Had the girls strode in stoical and austere like their father, she might have realized who they were immediately. Their blue eyes and well-defined cheekbones bore an unmistakable resemblance to the IAB Captain, but their demeanors, well, they must have inherited the perkiness from their mother.

"We're sorry just to barge in like this," Brooke continued, "we probably should have called, but we wanted to surprise our dad and it would've been suspicious if we asked for your number!"

Olivia laughed, "No problem. I'm so glad to meet you and happy you thought to come by." _How did they know where she would be?_ Oh, well. Olivia decided to roll with it.

Sarah, who had been wandering around the office inspecting the plaques and photographs, returned to the conversation. "Healwayscomplainswe'reneveralltogether." Sarah spoke so quickly, like her words were shot from a machine gun. Listening to her required extra focus.

"You're the one who decided to move to Philly and never come home!"

"Hey," Sarah replied sharply, "I'm here _now_. And I can't just pick up and leave and take days off. I just got hired and I'm gonna have to go all in for a _looooong_ time if I want to move up. It's a dog-eat-dog world in the CPA biz."

Brooke shook her head, "I cannot believe you are a CPA."

"I know. How many credit cards did I max out in college?"

"Good thing they were in dad's name."

"I can't believe I'm still alive." Sarah turned to Olivia who wasn't quite sure what to make of these two. "I'm pretty sure my dad hated me during my first two years of college. Like, ha-TED, I'm kinda surprised he gets so sad that I'm not home much."

"I think it wore off," Brooke concluded dryly.

"Remember when he was buying that condo in North Carolina and he was in the mortgage guy's office and the guy was worried about his credit card debt and dad _called me right there from the office on speaker and had the mortgage guy lecture me?_ "

 _Tucker owned a condo in North Carolina?_ Olivia made a mental note to inquire about this later.

Brooke grinned, "Yes, and he told you he wished you were in class so your prof could hear it."

The sisters burst into laughter at the memory. Their glee was contagious and Olivia laughed right along with them.

Hearing the commotion, Carisi poked his head in, "Everything ok in here?"

Olivia composed herself. "Carisi, these are Captain Tucker's daughters, Sarah and Brooke."

"Yeah, uh, we've been introduced," he replied, wondering why on Earth Ed Tucker's very attractive daughters were having a girly chuckle-fest with Benson in the Lieutenant's office.

"Ladies, let's get out of here," Olivia suggested. "Carisi, have a good weekend. Play nicely with Fin."

Carisi, dumbfounded, watched Olivia and the blondes march happily toward the elevator.

Olivia questioned whether or not she should be present for the surprise, but Brooke and Sarah insisted she be there.

"That's why we came to get you from your office," Sarah explained, "you _have_ to be there and you also _have_ to set it up. Can you ask him to meet you for a drink? At that disgusting bar he likes?"

"Sure," Olivia agreed, "but I can't stay long. I have to pick up my son." She reached for her phone, sent Tucker a text, then sent one to Rollins. Noah was with Jessie and her nanny today.

"I can't wait to meet him!" Sarah exclaimed.

 _Meet him?_ Olivia glanced at Brooke for clarification.

"We thought maybe we could all do a picnic in the park tomorrow," Brooke explained, "It's supposed to be a beautiful day."

"That sounds great." Olivia's phone pinged, "Your dad is on his way to the bar. Do you want to be there before him?"

Sarah bit her lip, thinking seriously about the intricacies of their surprise. Brooke chewed on a fingernail. This had to be perfectly executed. Olivia couldn't help but smile at the endearing scene.

"I think," Sarah mused, "I think, yeah, he should be there first. Then Olivia can walk in. And we'll just wait outside for a few minutes."

Brooke nodded in agreement.

The three co-conspirators continued to Tucker's favorite Hell's Kitchen dive, conversing non-stop all the way. The sisters regaled Olivia with Tucker tales—he never once approved of a boyfriend, he sent them their favorite junk foods when they were in college, he interrogated them after high school parties, he lavished them with Christmas and birthday gifts, he required Sunday church attendance until they were eighteen, he worried about Brooke teaching in a very rough section of the Bronx, and he carefully researched the safest place for Sarah to live when she moved to Philadelphia. The girls' buoyant nature uplifted Olivia and reinforced her growing love for Tucker. She couldn't wait to see him interact with these two vivacious souls.

From across Ninth Avenue, Olivia thought she spotted Tucker enter the bar, but she couldn't be sure. "Why don't you two wait here?" she suggested. "And I'll text you if he's there."

"Yes," Sarah affirmed. "We don't want him to see us by accident." She gave Olivia her number and smiled with finality. "Ok. Here we go. See you in there."

The three of them nodded, solidifying their alliance. The light changed, and Olivia crossed the street.

Tucker was in his usual spot at the far end of the bar when Olivia walked in. He and an elderly couple were the only patrons. _Perfect_ , she thought.

"Hey," he greeted her, "I thought you had to get Noah early today?"

"Nice to see you too," she teased. He looked down in mock shame. Olivia cupped the back of his head and kissed his cheek.

"Oh my God!" Tucker broke into a broad smile and his face radiated with an elation Olivia had never seen before.

The elderly couple and the equally geriatric bartender jumped, alarmed, as Sarah and Brooke squealed with delight at their father's reaction. They rushed into his embrace. Olivia noticed and was charmed by Tucker's reluctance to release them from the group hug.

"Are you surprised?" Sarah asked, mussing his hair which he had allowed to grow out a bit.

"Um… yes," Ed admitted, a tinge of sarcasm in the reply. He turned to Olivia, "and I'm assuming you were in on this?'

Brooke came to Olivia's defense, "We kind of coerced her."

"We kidnapped her from her office!" Sarah boasted.

"Kidnapped?"

"Well, not really," Sarah explained, "we just showed up so she kinda had no choice."

"You went to the precinct? How did you know where to go?"

"Oh, well, we're sort of stalkers," Brooke confessed, "and Sarah remembered you saying Olivia was in charge of SVU, so, from there, it wasn't hard to find her."

"We figured it was time to introduce ourselves," Sarah added.

"It was awfully easy to get up there," Brooke recalled breezily.

"We name-dropped."

"It's amazing. You say you're Ed Tucker's daughters and you can pretty much do anything you want."

Sarah marveled, "Yeah, the desk sergeant was, like, 'Tucker? From IAB? Absolutely. Gorightahead.' No problem."

Olivia was intrigued. _So Tucker had talked about Olivia with his daughters? Interesting._

Tucker's face crinkled into another smile unfamiliar to Olivia, one full of filial affection and pride. "I'm glad I could help," he quipped.

Brooke dangled three tickets in front of Tucker's face. "Look what we got!"

Tucker held the tickets delicately. "Oh, wow," he replied softly, genuinely touched by the gift. "These seats! Wow, girls, you shouldn't have spent so much."

"Here we go," Sarah muttered with a combination of amusement and sarcasm.

Brooke slung an arm around Tucker's shoulders, "Dad, relax. We have jobs. We have money, well," she glanced lovingly at her little sister, "I have money. And we love you, so let us do something nice for you."

"Like go hate on the Sox!" Sarah piped in.

Tucker hugged them again. "Well, thank you. This will be fun."

"And tonight we're taking you to dinner, and tomorrow we're having a picnic in the park with Olivia and Noah," Brooke reported.

Tucker was used to being manhandled by his daughters, especially when they were _really_ dedicated to something. "Sounds good," he said. He waved over the bartender and ordered drinks. Bourbon for him, Irish whiskey for Olivia, a gin and tonic for Sarah, and a Guinness for Brooke.

"Nice work, dad," Brooke remarked.

"Thanks," Tucker passed out the drinks and held up his glass, "To surprises!" They clinked glasses at one another. When he said "surprises," Tucker gazed intently at Olivia. Her heart melted.

"Ok, so, I don't know where we're going tonight, but we need to get everything for tomorrow, so, we'll hit the market before we go home," Sarah barked directions between sips. "Dad, do you have a cooler?"

"Yes."

"Ok great. A big blanket?"

"Just the one on my bed and on the guest bed, and we're not using those."

Olivia chimed in, "I have one."

"Good," Sarah continued, "so Brooke and I will do the food. Olivia has the blanket, we have a cooler. Perfect."

Olivia checked her phone. No text from Rollins demanding that she get Noah, but it was getting late. "Guys," she finished the last of her whiskey, "I have to go."

Disappointment crossed all three of their faces.

"Do you and Noah want to join us for dinner?" Brooke asked.

"No, we better not. He probably hasn't taken a nap today and you three should have some alone time. I'll see you tomorrow."

Sarah and Brooke each hugged Olivia tightly and showered her with gratitude for her impromptu role in their trickery. Tucker then pulled her close and kissed her lightly on the lips. "Bye," he said softly. "About eleven tomorrow? We'll come by and get you two?"

"Sounds good."

As soon as Olivia disappeared through the heavy oak door, the girls let loose their restrained giggles.

"Omigod, omigod, omigod, Dad is in _looooove_ ," Sarah purred.

"He's blushing," observed Brooke.

Tucker shook his head and rolled his eyes, but…they were both right.

"Dad," Brooke turned serious, "She. Is. Awesome."

"And hot!" Sarah chimed in.

Right again.

"Ok, girls," Tucker grumbled good-naturedly, "Where are we eating?"

Now cuddled up in Sarah's lap, Noah began to doze off. Sarah shifted him around and cradled him as if he were an infant.

"He sure warmed up to you two quickly," Olivia remarked.

"Well, we did bring him the train," Brooke said.

"And the football," added Sarah.

Brooke smiled triumphantly, "We are the types of people who buy the love of the people in our lives."

"Dad, did you bring the Uno deck?"

Tucker rummaged through the contents of his backpack and produced the cards.

"Olivia?" Sarah inquired seriously, "Do you play Uno well?"

"I do." Olivia was equally stern.

"Well, it is battle royale then," Sarah challenged, then turned to Tucker, "Dad, is the scoresheet still in there?"

"Of course." Tucker slid the cards from the box and out fell a folded sheet of lined paper. He unfolded it and, squinting, reported the statistics, "Sarah, 322. Brooke, 400. Dad, 398. Hmmmm," Tucker pondered slyly, "I could take the lead today."

"How long have you been tallying your wins?" Olivia asked, amazed.

"About fifteen years," Tucker calculated. "And we've only had to transfer the scores to different paper three times. The creases wore out once."

"And then Brooke spilled beer on the last one," Sarah finished for him. "Jeez, Brooke, you are prone to spills," she taunted. With that came the story of last New Year's Eve, the day Brooke spilled the beer all over the tally sheet, nearly destroying it. The girls bantered back and forth, directing playful barbs at one another and, occasionally, at Tucker.

Immune to the friendly ribbing, Tucker smirked, repacked the food, moved the cooler to the edge of the blanket, and began dealing the cards.

Olivia noticed Sarah struggling to play one-handed. "Sarah, let's just put him down. I have his blankets right here. Olivia reached into her own backpack and pulled out two fleece blankets. She rolled one into a makeshift pillow and placed it next to her.

Tucker stood up, scooped the sleeping boy from Sarah's lap, and carefully placed him on the blanket next to Olivia who draped the second blanket over her son. Tucker affectionately patted Noah's head and returned to inspect the hand he'd dealt himself.

"Ok, ladies," he challenged, "Game on."

They went about playing cards, trash-talking, and sipping what was left of the rosé. The Tuckers were fierce competitors, and Olivia's own drive to win blended seamlessly with theirs. They played until Noah awoke, and Brooke and Sarah engaged him in another round of toddler soccer.

"Oh, Dad," Brooke stopped Tucker before he closed the Uno box and spoke matter-of-factly, "don't forget to put Olivia's wins on that sheet. She had five."

Olivia was so touched, she nearly burst into tears of gratitude. Tucker dutifully clicked his pen and wrote in Olivia's stats. He knew she was on the verge of becoming emotional, and he also knew she would not want to have a breakdown, even a _good_ breakdown, in front of Brooke and Sarah and in the middle of the park.

"I cannot believe her" Tucker murmured, "keeping track of the number of games each of us won in her head like that." He snickered. "She's the one who should've been an accountant."

Olivia smiled at him and thanked him with a kiss. She leaned back against Tucker and the two of them watched Brooke and Sarah play keep-away with Noah. The sun had begun its descent over Manhattan's western skyline, casting shadows over those still remaining in the park. Olivia took deep breaths and mentally catalogued for future use the individual moments of this perfect day.

"You ok?" Tucker asked softly.

"Ed, I am so happy right now."

"Me too," he kissed the top of her head, "me too."

I enjoyed writing…hope you enjoyed reading! #Tuckson forever


	2. Chapter 2

**Another in the series of Perfect Surprise Oneshots. The OCs are back, and it's the Fourth of July weekend!** **Remember, these stories will ALWAYS be full of sweetness. Ideal for reading after tough episodes**

Olivia tossed a duffle bag on the already heaping pile of luggage. This vacation was a big deal for a number of reasons, but, first and foremost, it would be the farthest from home she and Noah, as a pair, had ever traveled.

She stood, hands on her hips, scrolling through a mental checklist. First, Noah's items.

Clothes, including swim gear? _Check._

Pull ups? _Check._

Beach stuff—sand toys, hat, sunblock, life jacket? _Check_.

Snacks for the ride? _Check_.

Charged iPad? _Check_.

"Well, mister," she said to Noah who was happily playing with a train and a dump truck, "I think we're good to go."

 _Crap. Toys._

"Noah, let's put some toys in your Thomas bag," Olivia plucked the Thomas the Tank Engine backpack from the coat rack and set it on the floor. Noah tried to shove the large Tonka truck in the bag's main compartment. His mother chuckled at the attempt. "Let's get smaller things, like your cars." Noah hustled to his toy box and brought as many Hot Wheels cars as he could carry.

"Legos?"

He returned to the toy box.

"Bernie?"

Noah grabbed his stuffed brown bear from the sofa. The bear made her think of bed time. "Blanket," Olivia reminded herself. She went to grab Noah's favorite fleece blanket from his bed.

"Mama!"

Olivia hustled back out to the living room, "Yes, sweet boy?"

Noah pointed to the door.

"Is it Tuck?"

Noah smiled and kept pointing to the door.

Sure enough, Tucker was on the other side. Noah kicked his legs and reached out for him. "Hey, bud," Tucker greeted him softly and held him high over his head, "You ready for the beach?"

"We better go before I add to this," Olivia gestured toward the bags.

"Wow." Tucker laughed but understood. He knew it was impossible for parents to pack lightly.

"Has Sarah left yet?"

"She was on her way to pick up the boyfriend the last time I heard from her. About an hour ago. She's probably on the road."

Olivia grinned at him, glad to pounce on the opportunity for some playful banter, "Oh, Ed. _The boyfriend_? Doesn't he have a name?"

"I think he does."

"Well, what is it?"

"I think it's Matthew."

"Tucker, I don't think it's Matthew."

"We're not at work… _Benson_."

She rolled her eyes, "Didn't Brooke tell us his name when we were at the jazz fest?"

Tucker did not seem to care about determining the name of Sarah's newish boyfriend who would be intruding on _their_ holiday weekend and staying at _his_ condo. He pretended to think about it. "I think she did, but I don't remember."

He was being too difficult. Olivia sent a text to Brooke.

"Ok," Tucker said, shouldering three duffle bags. He picked up Noah's backpack with one hand and the car seat with the other. "One trip or two?"

Olivia looked at him admiringly, "I think we can do one."

…

Noah Benson, New York City kid, had very seldom ridden in cars, and he certainly had never been on a seven hour road trip, but now there he was in the middle of the back seat, strapped in his Evenflo Tribute, which had been expertly secured by his mother's boyfriend. The Thomas backpack sat on his right side, so his toys and books were easily accessible. To his left, in the seat's cup holder, was a sippy cup full of apple juice. He held his mother's iPad in his hands.

"I'm glad we could leave today," Tucker remarked, settling in behind the wheel. "I knew I was saving that vacation time for something."

Olivia, too, was spending long-accrued vacation days. Today was Thursday, a day ahead of the certain July 4th traffic rush, and once they were out of the city, traffic was fluid.

"The boyfriend's name is Jeff. Jeff _Matthews_."

"What?"

"The boyfriend. _Sarah's_ boyfriend? His name is Jeff."

"Oh."

"I asked Brooke." Tucker was silent. "How is she getting there tomorrow?"

"She's getting a ride with a friend."

"So we'll have an evening alone with Jeff and Sarah," Olivia said encouragingly. Tucker's protective paternal instincts rose to the surface. Olivia noticed he gripped the steering wheel tightly, his jaw clenched, and his face flushed. Poor Brooke and Sarah—an overly protective dad _and_ he was a cop? She remembered them telling her he had never approved of any boyfriends they brought home. Hopefully Sarah was prepping Jeff Matthews right now as they drove south from Philadelphia to Kill Devil Hills.

Tucker checked the rear view mirror. "He's out."

Olivia looked behind her, and sure enough Noah was now conked out, his head drooping at an uncomfortable-looking angle. She grabbed the iPad which he still held loosely. He stirred, but then readjusted his head and continued sleeping.

"So, am I supposed to let them have the guest bedroom?" The way Tucker asked the question led Olivia to believe he had been wondering or worrying about this for a long time, probably since Sarah first informed him she was bringing a date.

Olivia had no idea. "How long have they been seeing each other?"

Ed shrugged his shoulders, "Sarah told me three months, but that probably means six."

"I hate to break it to you," she reached over and gently slapped his thigh, "but they've probably slept together." He cast her a sideways glance. "So maybe…well, you could just see what Sarah does with their bags when they get there?"

"Ok."

Olivia now reached over and put a reassuring hand on his shoulder. "We're going to have a great weekend, Ed, you'll see. He's probably a nice guy. Give him a chance. Trust Sarah." _We're going all the way to North Carolina for a relaxing weekend at the beach, don't ruin it by being a jerk._

"I'm glad you're here," he said softly, relaxing a bit, taking one hand off the wheel to reach over to her. She kissed the top of his hand and held it tightly.

….

Ed unlocked the door and pushed it open for Olivia to walk in first. Just as he'd predicted, she was immediately awed by the view.

"Ed! Oh my God! This is amazing!"

He had the same reaction eight years ago when he first walked in. A small foyer opened to a wide living, kitchen, and dining area, all renovated and tastefully decorated in neutral colors (Ed preferred his condo to look like _his_ condo; he didn't go for beachy-chic). Most impressive, though, was the view. Olivia made a beeline for the sliding glass doors and walked out onto the balcony to take in the panoramic view of the pool below, the beach, and the ocean. Noah, perched on her hip, bounced and shrieked as he pointed towards the water.

Ed joined them and slid his arm around her waist. "I'm glad you like it."

"I love it." She leaned into him and closed her eyes for a moment, relishing the feel of her man at her side, her son on the other, and the tranquil sound of waves crashing in the distance.

His phone vibrated.

"Sarah and Jeff are about an hour out."

"Oh, good, you used his _name_!"

"Hey," Ed scolded good-naturedly, "Wait until Noah brings home a girl for the weekend."

"I think it's different with boys."

"I don't know," Ed said thoughtfully, "he'll always be your baby."

 _Tucker? Nostalgic?_ Olivia decided to concede his point; apparently, he still struggled with an empty nest.

"Tuck! Ball!" Noah switched his gaze from the ocean to the pool below which teemed with kids of all ages. Some of the older ones were playing with an inflatable basketball hoop. Noah strained to watch them, still in Olivia's arms.

"Yeah, bud! We'll play later, ok?"

Olivia had to admit she was kind of excited to see Ed play in the pool with Noah.

"Ok," Ed was back to business, "I should probably hit the market before they get here, at least pick up a few things for today and tomorrow morning. Do you want me to take Noah so you can unpack?"

"No, he can stay here. You go. Should we make a list?"

Ed furrowed his brow. "A list?"

"Yes, you know, bread, milk, coffee…"

Ed waved off the suggestion, "Nah, I'll be fine."

He left, and Olivia busied herself filling the master bedroom's storage spaces with their clothes. For some strange reason, she really enjoyed hanging and arranging her things among his; it felt surprisingly satisfying and permanent. Perhaps it was a feeling reserved for those in long-term, solid relationships, one where both partners felt unconditionally loved.

….

They were relaxing in the Adirondack chairs, sipping Pinot Grigio from stemless wine glasses when Sarah and Jeff-the-Boyfriend arrived.

"Dad!" Sarah exclaimed as she burst onto the balcony. Ed stood, and she wrapped her arms around his neck, briefly cutting off his air supply. She was just as spirited as Olivia remembered from the surprise visit three months ago. "This is Jeff," she yanked the boyfriend onto the balcony almost violently. He reached out to shake Tucker's hand.

Tucker forced a smile, "Nice to meet you," he said gruffly, peering at Jeff in the way he usually reserved for perps.

Olivia wanted to tell Jeff to get the hell out of there. Instead, Sarah took charge and instructed him to sit. Jeff took a spot on the loveseat. Tucker and Olivia returned to the Adirondacks, and Sarah went inside for two additional glasses.

Jeff, abandoned, attempted to make small talk with Ed.

 _Great place_.

 _Drive wasn't too bad._

 _I thought it would be busier._

 _Weather is supposed to be perfect._

While the two men attempted some semblance of conversation, Olivia sized up the possible future addition to Tucker's family. Jeff was a couple inches shorter than Ed and slightly built. Olivia thought he looked like a professional golfer. He had wavy strawberry blonde hair which curled around his ears and at the nape of his neck. His round face had the ruddy appearance of someone who worked outside for a living, and his blue eyes were deeply set, making him appear perpetually pensive. He wore a wrinkled, light green Vineyard Vines t-shirt, khaki cargo shorts, and shabby flip-flops. Knowing Sarah as a sophisticated, designer-label-loving city girl, Olivia had been picturing her boyfriend a little differently. This guy was a bit disheveled, more hippie than frat boy. Olivia had been certain Jeff Matthews would fall into the frat boy category, but she guessed wrong.

During a lull in their banal back and forth, Olivia asked Jeff what he did for a living.

"I work for the Phillies," he informed her proudly, probably grateful for the opportunity to possibly impress Ed who was still giving him the perp stare. "You know when you go to the games, the stats and videos on the Jumbotron? The music between innings and when players bat? That's me. I plan all that."

"That sounds exciting! What a neat job!"

Sarah returned with the glasses, a plate of brie and grapes, and Noah, who had been napping in the Papasan chair.

The topic remained Jeff's job, and even though Ed was a baseball guy, he didn't seem particularly impressed. "How do you get a job like that?" He asked dryly.

Jeff answered eagerly either out of pride or because he knew the question was coming. "Double major in communications and sports management. Also, a geeky knowledge of all things Philly."

"You from Philly?"

"Born and raised."

Sarah decided it was time to get Jeff off the hook, so she chimed in, "Jeff's been showing me around the different parts of the city! Before I met him I was just staying in my neighborhood, I didn't really know where to start, but we've been to some great places! Restaurants, running trails…"

Ed glanced at her briefly then turned his stare back to Jeff.

 _God he was being difficult._

"How did you two meet?" Olivia to the rescue.

"My firm has a corporate box and we were taken on a behind the scenes tour before one of the games," Sarah explained, arms waving with excitement. "I was meeting people, shaking hands, and passing out my new business cards left and right. I didn't really have to give them to anybody, my boss was making fun of me, but I just got the cards, so I was crazy generous with them, and Jeff got one and called me the next day!"

Not even her austere father could hold back a smile at Sarah's animated recollection. Ed gave her a crooked half-smile, a combination of adoration and the exasperation of a father who had endured over two decades of raising two very attractive daughters whose personalities were nothing like his.

Sarah, feeling she'd scored a tiny victory, refilled the glasses. Understandably, she and Jeff drank the first round extra quickly.

"Let me get another bottle," Ed said.

"Great idea!" Sarah replied, relief in her voice. "What are we eating tonight, daddy?" She looked up at him innocently.

Olivia held back a laugh. She sure was good at playing him.

Ed was not fooled, but he pretended he was. "Burgers. On the grill," he answered, "and we have a stocked fridge, so make sure you help yourselves."

Olivia looked pleased. _Ok, that's better, babe, just calm down_.

Ed disappeared into the condo for the bottle.

"Omigod, Omigod," Sarah gasped, keeping her voice low because Ed left the door open a crack. She let out a deep breath. "Ok, that's over. Olivia, thank _Gawwwwd_ you're here." Sarah patted Jeff's knee, "Dad'll be ok. You're doing _sooo_ good."

Olivia finally let out the giggle she'd been holding back. Adding to the tension was the fact that the balcony set up was conducive to interrogation. Ed and Olivia had been sitting in the Adirondacks facing Jeff and Sarah on the loveseat. A long glass table separated them. Though they sat next to one another, both Sarah and Jeff sat up straighter than they normally would and were tucked up against their respective armrests, staying as far apart as possible. The only solace was the sound of waves crashing.

"You poor girls," Olivia amusedly sympathized.

Sarah rolled her eyes in disgust. "He's always been like that, even if we were just friends with a guy. He's so…so… _cop-ish_." She slid an elastic hair tie off her wrist and swept her long blonde hair up into a messy bun. Sarah was gorgeous—high pronounced cheekbones, big curious blue eyes, and a dazzling smile. Olivia had never seen Ed's ex-wife, but Sarah easily favored her father. Brooke did, too, but Sarah more so.

"Noah, come here," Sarah requested. He was sitting just inside the glass doors playing on the tile floor with his cars. He grabbed a red corvette and came over to Sarah. She held him close to her face and spoke seriously, "Don't let Tuck intimidate your girlfriends. Remember that, Noah." He just stared at her and then offered the car to Jeff.

"Thank you," he said, apparently very comfortable around kids. He took the car and drove it up Noah's arm, around his shoulders, and down the other arm, making a "vrrroooooom" sound.

"Olivia?" Tucker called to her from the kitchen.

"Go ahead," Sarah said, "we'll hang with Noah."

Inside, Ed had already opened the wine, but he now stood facing the guest bedroom. "Their stuff is in there," he reported.

Olivia wanted to be annoyed, but the dejection on Ed's face required her to rustle some sympathy. She rubbed his bicep and spoke softly, "Hey, I know this is tough and awkward right now, but, maybe, give him a chance? He seems like a good guy."

Ed nodded, giving in, and gave her a quick kiss. "I don't know what I would do if you weren't here."

The rest of the evening passed uneventfully with the four of them doing what people vacation at the beach normally do. Ed manned the grill, they ate burgers and pasta salad, drank more wine, went for a sunset walk on the beach, and, after Noah was bathed and in bed, they played Scrabble late into the night. Jeff proved to be a competent wordsmith, and, once he and Ed totally warmed up to one another, displayed a keen sense of humor and an ultra-kind demeanor. Olivia changed her mind; he and Sarah were actually a perfect fit.

After Sarah and Jeff went to bed (which Ed tolerated well), Tucker and Olivia returned to the balcony. Ed sat on the loveseat against an armrest, pulled Olivia against his chest, and protectively wrapped his arms around her.

"This is nice," she whispered.

He kissed the top of her head. "It ended up being a good day," he concluded. "You're so great."

"Thank you."

"But I still beat you at Scrabble."

"You beat everybody. You could have let up a little."

"I was getting great letters."

"I think you were trying to show off."

"Maybe a little."

She bent her head back for what she'd thought would be a quick kiss, but Ed wanted more. He pressed his mouth to hers insistently, kissing her like he hadn't kissed anyone in years. Olivia turned over, her chest on his, and kissed back.

"I want you right now," he managed to say as he worked his tongue against hers.

"Where?"

With Noah asleep on his portable toddler bed in their bedroom, they were going to have to get creative. Ed wasn't interested in having Sarah or Jeff walk in on them having sex in the living room, so he suggested the only place in the condo they could get privacy at the moment.

"Shower?"

Without responding, Olivia jumped up. Ed followed her inside, and he slowly peeled her clothes off as the shower heated up. "You're so beautiful," he gushed. As usual, he struggled to find the perfect words to describe his awe for her.

She worked at his khaki shorts and Tucker flung his tee shirt aside. Olivia massaged his chiseled chest with both hands. "You're not so bad either, Ed Tucker." They started kissing again, engulfed by the steam now permeating the entire bathroom.

Tucker grabbed her by the wrists and nodded toward the shower, "Let's get in there."

Olivia grinned. Shower sex at the beach? What a perfect way to end the day.

…..

Olivia and Ed slept soundly, ensconced in the crisp sheets and plush pillows. At some point during the early morning hours Noah woke up and crawled into bed with them. Ed awoke to find him curled up between them, one arm wrapped around Bernie.

Neither Noah nor Olivia stirred when Ed got out of bed. He left the door open a crack, and he got to work in the kitchen making coffee. He turned the television to the news and muted the sound. He hadn't had much sleep; he was a perpetual early riser, often up before sunrise. The clock on the stove read 7:01. For him, it was late.

Ed sipped his coffee and flipped through some magazines Cole must have left when he used the condo a few weeks ago. Most owners regularly rented out their units, but Ed did not like the idea of people he didn't know living in his space, so the condo was used sparingly usually by Sergeant Draper or other IAB colleagues. Tucker never charged them.

He was just about to move to the balcony when the master bedroom door opened and out came Noah, bleary-eyed and clutching Bernie in one hand and Ed's phone in the other. He must have left it on the nightstand.

"Tuck, phone," Noah held the iPhone out to him.

"Thanks bud," Ed said, reaching down for the phone. There was a text from Brooke. She had gotten on the road early and would arrive by noon.

Ed lifted Noah onto the counter. "Mommy still sleeping?" Noah nodded. "Want some juice?" Another nod. Ed kept one hand on Noah and reached into the refrigerator.

"Grapes?" Noah pointed to last night's tray. What was left of the brie was now congealed onto the glass plate.

Ed twisted the lid on Noah's cup and handed him the juice. "Not those, bud." Ed put some fresh grapes into a small bowl, put Noah down, and led him out to the balcony.

There was plenty to love about the beach, but Ed particularly enjoyed watching the area gradually come to life. Early morning exercisers were the only people out at this hour. Someone was swimming laps in the pool and several walkers and joggers passed by at the shoreline. The blue sky promised a gorgeous day ahead. Ed took a deep breath, savoring the sea air and the contentment he felt. No longer was he skeptical about Jeff, he was spending rare precious time with both daughters, and Olivia Benson was sleeping peacefully in his bed. The weight of Noah's little body against his chest heightened his sense of serenity. Ed kissed the top of his head.

"Grape, Tuck?" Noah generously offered Ed a grape. Almost three-years-old and the boy already had a generous nature and a warm heart. Surely that was Benson's influence shining through.

"Thank you."

Noah wriggled out of the chair and walked over to the railing, pressed his face in the narrow opening between the posts, and took in the scenery.

"We're going to the beach today, Noah. Are you going to swim?"

Noah turned, "Yes, Noah, swim!" He exclaimed and jumped around, spinning, making himself dizzy, and then fell to the floor giggling.

"Well I see someone is in a good mood."

Tucker turned to see Olivia standing there, grinning at Noah.

"Good morning," he said brightly, gazing up at her. She stepped out, bent down, and kissed him, lingering on his lips for a little longer than the typical good morning kiss. It made Ed think about last night's shower, and a slight tingle rippled through his body.

"Gosh, I slept so well. I didn't hear you or Noah get up."

"He was between us when I woke up."

"He _was_?" She went over and kissed Noah. "Sneaky guy. Did you get in the big bed last night?"

Noah smiled mischievously.

"I must have really been out to not have noticed that." Ever since Noah came into her life, Benson slept lightly with a kind of nervous apprehension common to new parents. Any strange sound woke her. It was only when Ed was next to her that she allowed herself to fall into a deep slumber.

Tucker slid his hand up and down the back of her leg. "There's coffee. Do you want me to get it for you?"

"No, I'll get it. Be right back."

Noah found his red corvette and rolled it across the table top. Ed caught it before it tumbled over the edge and rolled it back. Noah squealed in delight.

Olivia returned, sunglasses on, and took a seat in the other Adirondack. "When will Brooke be here?"

"She texted this morning and said she'll get here around noon. They must have left at four or five." Ed caught the car again and returned it to Noah. "I'll make breakfast when Sarah and Jeff get up. What do you want to do today?"

"This," Olivia replied. "And hit the beach later."

"Whatever you want."

Olivia shifted in the chair so she was facing Ed. She peered over at him with a look of pleasant surprise and curiosity. Ed's selflessness never ceased to captivate her, and while she was well past their rocky history, she was amazed he managed to hide it so well for so long.

"What?" He asked innocently.

"You are a very good man, Captain Tucker," she cooed.

"I try," he replied casually even though the compliment thrilled him.

Olivia wanted to hop in the chair with him and feel his arms around her, but she saved the idea for later. Instead, she stretched out, rested her legs on the table, and took in the scenery. A light breeze rustled the sea grass, the ocean was calm, but there was still the faint sound of waves lapping against the shoreline.

Inside, doors opened and closed, and Jeff and Sarah emerged, clothed in shorts and tee shirts, looking like they were ready to begin the day.

"Morrrrn-ing," Sarah sang.

"Morning," Ed and Olivia said at the same time.

"How'd you sleep?" Ed asked.

"Very well," Jeff replied. "I got some coffee. Do you want me to make another pot?"

Ed looked at Olivia. "I'm good," she said.

"Don't worry about it," Ed told him. "Have a seat and relax."

Jeff and Sarah returned to the love seat, this time sitting a bit closer to one another. Noah, attracted to Jeff, rolled the Corvette in his direction.

"Do you have other cars, Noah?" Jeff asked.

Noah darted inside.

"Do they still make those gigantic plastic maps for Hot Wheels cars?" Jeff questioned Olivia, "They're laid out like cities? I used to love those."

"I know what you're talking about," Olivia replied. "I don't think they make them anymore. He has a smaller one, something similar."

From the other Adirondack, Tucker downed the rest of his coffee and put the empty mug on the floor. He stretched his legs out in front of him, rested his head against the back of the chair, and splayed his arms along the wide armrests, totally relaxed. He couldn't predict whether or not Jeff-the-Boyfriend would be Jeff-the-Son-in-Law, but he realized it was easier to accept him for the time being than fight the losing battle of fatherly resistance. Ed silently observed his reconstructed family. Sarah and Jeff helped Noah scatter his cars all over the table. Olivia, sunk into the chair in a position identical to his, was the epitome of contentedness. Seagulls squawked in the distance, poolside chatter filtered up from below, and the waves kicked up, clashing more intensely into the sand. Later they would all park themselves on the beach, and he would swing Noah in the surf and maybe tow him around in one of the newly purchased inflatables. The smell of sunscreen and saltwater would flood the air. Lunch would be light snacks from the cooler and maybe some rosé or gin-and-tonics or even just an ice cold beer. As day turned to dusk they would get cleaned up and head out for oysters on the half shell followed by another round of gaming—maybe Uno or Rummy. The nightcap would be creative lovemaking with Benson.

Tucker reached over and loosely linked fingers with Olivia. He gave her a little smirk then continued watching the others play with the car cluster.

All was perfect in the world of Tucker. It was pleasantly overwhelming.


	3. Chapter 3

**Beach Day!**

The girls and Noah watched gleefully as Ed and Jeff flung a Frisbee back and forth. Even though Tucker cast aside his doubts about Jeff, he still harbored the need to assert his dominance over the boyfriend. His throws became increasingly laser-like and led Jeff farther and farther into the water. Not wanting to be upstaged, Jeff impressed onlookers with diving catches and he challenged Ed with swift, forceful returns.

"They have to be exhausted," Brooke remarked.

"Dibs on who quits first?" Sarah added.

"I don't think Ed will quit," Olivia predicted.

"Dad wants to kill him," Sarah concluded. "He wants him dead and swept out to sea."

"I can't believe he let you and Jeff stay in the same room."

"He didn't have a choice. I put our bags in there as soon as I walked in."

"Have you told him you're practically living together?"

Sarah shot her sister an exasperated look. "Are you serious? He thinks we just got together."

Olivia appreciated that Sarah trusted her enough to reveal this information in her presence, but she hoped it would not cause trouble with her own relationship down the road. "How long _have_ you been together?" she asked, genuinely curious.

"Oh," Sarah replied breezily, "that story about the Phillies game? Well, that was _last_ spring not _this_ spring."

The three of them giggled.

"Oh boy," Olivia said.

Noah had been resting under the umbrella, but he now headed in Ed's direction wanting in on the action. Tucker caught the Frisbee, noticed Noah coming closer, scooped him up, and gently floated the disc back to Jeff. Sensing their game was over, Jeff jogged over to the girls.

"And Noah saves the day," Sarah narrated.

Tucker waded into the water with Noah in his arms. The little boy was fearless and reached out to meet the waves as they came crashing in. Olivia noticed Ed's broad toothy smile, a smile she had only seen a handful of times.

"Who wants a beer?" Sarah asked brightly, opening the cooler. She tossed cans of IPA to Jeff, Brooke, and Olivia and took a pilsner for herself. "Nice work out there," she complemented Jeff.

"Thanks," he replied breathlessly.

"So what do you think of Captain Tucker?" Brooke asked.

Jeff forced a nervous laugh, "Am I being recorded?"

"Ha!" Brooke exclaimed, "Excellent question."

"He's a good guy," Jeff said, "a little intimidating at first."

"A _little_?" Sarah giggled. "Brooke, you shoulda seen dad yesterday. If looks could kill we would be planning a _fun-er-al_ right now. No joke."

"Does he have a gun with him?" Jeff asked.

"He does," Olivia answered, "but I think you're safe."

" _Now_ ," Sarah added.

"Olivia, was it that bad?"

She smiled at Brooke. "Yes, it was that bad. Uncomfortable and awkward."

"Don't worry, ladies," Jeff assured them, "by the end of the weekend we'll be best friends."

"Yeah right," Brooke snorted.

"Look at Noah!" Sarah was cracking up. Ed had been lifting Noah over the waves, but now he allowed the water to completely wash over them. Noah squealed in delight, not at all bothered by the water splashing his face.

Olivia grabbed her phone and ran out to get a video and a few pictures. "Guys, look over here!" She called out to them. Ed turned around and he and Noah both flashed smiles for the camera.

"Send that to me," Ed requested. He dipped Noah into the waves one more time, and then came out of the water. "I need a break." He put Noah down, "Noah, go get a drink from Sarah and Brookey." Noah teetered across the sand to their setup and Brooke wrapped him in a towel.

Ed moved toward Olivia. She shivered at the chill of his skin as he pulled her close and kissed her knowing full well that his daughters were watching closely. He didn't care.

"You're freezing," she giggled, hugging him tightly.

"You look so good in that suit," he whispered in her ear.

"You look good in yours." She wasn't just being charitable. A shirtless Ed Tucker certainly was easy on the eyes. Olivia loved the sight of his biceps bulging when he tossed Noah around in the water. She held those biceps now as Ed gazed lovingly at her.

He kissed her again. "Are they staring at us?"

"Of course," Olivia answered without looking. "Come on, sit down and have a drink with us." She grabbed his hand and led him back to their spot. Olivia took a seat on one of the lounge chairs and Ed sat on the end, still dripping.

"Dad, real beer or fake beer?" Brooke asked, rolling her eyes at Sarah who was the only fake beer drinker in the family.

"Real."

Brooke handed him an IPA. "So, daddio, did you buy fireworks yet?"

"No. I thought we could all go together and pick them out. Maybe tonight after dinner?"

"Will we be able to see the big show from here?" Jeff asked.

"Oh yeah," Tucker replied and pointed in the direction of the pier where Kill Devil's fireworks were launched. "It's only about a mile down the road."

"Noah's going to love it!" Sarah bounced Noah in her lap.

"Remember when we were little and we tried to write our names in the air with sparklers?" Brooke recalled fondly. "We tried so hard to write the whole name before the light disappeared."

"Yeah, and the time dad almost got into a fight!" Sarah added.

They all laughed.

"I _have_ to hear this story," Olivia said. With the exception of the time he confronted his cousin, she had never seen Tucker get violent.

Tucker hung his head in mock shame as Sarah told the story.

"Well, it was a few years ago, I think it was my second year in college or something like that. Anyway, that doesn't matter. But the law here is that you can have fireworks but they can't be the ones that shoot any projectiles in the air. Just sparklers and the cone things. Well, dad-the-cop took issue with this guy who had those, what do you call them, they shoot little balls of fire?"

"Roman candles," Jeff told her.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, I knew it was something ancient-sounding. Anyway, this guy was gigantic and kinda gross, and just F-this and F-that, so dad was already irritated. Then, he starts shooting his candle thing and Dad goes over there to talk to him about it. They guy was like, 'whatever dude,' and Dad was _pissed_."

"Hey," Brooke chastised her, gesturing to Noah who was playing in the sand with his bucket and shovel, "Watch the language."

Sarah covered her mouth with her hand, "I'm _so_ sorry Olivia. Oops." Benson shrugged off the blunder and Sarah continued, "So Dad was like 'I'm a cop and what you're doing is illegal,' and the guy said 'well, arrest me then,' and, of course, Dad didn't have cuffs or—"

"The power to arrest him," Brooke interrupted.

"And Dad got in his face, screaming."

Ed objected, "Come on, Sarah, I wasn't _screaming_."

"Yes you were, Dad! You were both screaming at each other and it was so loud and everyone was watching. Then, a Kill Devil officer showed up, and Dad was like 'I'm Captain Ed Tucker, NYPD'—"

"I wasn't a Captain then, Sarah," Ed corrected. "She's using some creative license with this story," he muttered to Olivia who grinned at him.

Sarah fluttered her arms around, "Well, Sergeant, or Lieutenant, I don't know, the point is that the officer and Dad became all buddy-buddy which made the other guy even angrier, so he lit another candle, idiot, and the cop and Dad wrestled him to the ground."

"His wish to be arrested came true," Brooke finished for her.

They all stared at Ed who really did look like he could kick the crap out of anyone who threatened him or his family. He looked up and smiled modestly, slightly uncomfortable with the attention. "Now, should I start telling embarrassing stories about the two of _you_?"

"Oh Daddy, we love you," Brooke cooed, "and, no, you shouldn't."

"Beer me, sister!" Sarah demanded. She checked Jeff's can. "And Jeff, too!"

"Don't get too looped," Ed warned, "We're going for oysters later." He turned to Jeff, "Do you like oysters?

Even if the answer had been no, Jeff would've said yes. "I do. I'm excited about it, we, I, don't have them much at home."

"The place we're going to is just up the road. They have the best in town. You'll enjoy it."

Brooke was watching Noah repeatedly fill and dump the bucket. "Noah, we need to teach you how to build a real sand castle. Come on." She grabbed a second bucket and shovel, took his hand, and led him closer to shore where the sand was wet.

"Let's build him a gigantic castle," Sarah suggested. She and Jeff took their beers and joined them.

Olivia sat up and massaged Ed's shoulders.

"You hungry?" She asked. "We have snacks."

"Nah, I'm good. We'll do an early dinner and try to beat the crowd."

"Ok. I'll go in soon and shower."

"Am I invited?"

"Of course, but I don't know how we're going to work that out without the others noticing."

"You're right," he admitted, bummed out, "but later…"

"Later I'm all yours."

…..

Ed's plan to beat the crowd worked. The six of them were seated at a large round patio table about thirty minutes before the bar filled with Friday night revelers. The oysters were perfect, the beer was ice cold, and, unlike yesterday, there were no awkward lulls in conversation. Ed even managed to joke a little with Jeff about Sarah's expensive tastes. After playing tug-of-war with the check, Ed finally allowed Brooke to pick up the tab.

As planned, they picked out an assortment of fireworks to be detonated over the next few nights, and then they walked the half mile or so back to the condo. Ed lifted Noah onto his shoulders and felt his little hands grip his ears for stability. Jeff dared to hold Sarah's hand, and Olivia and Brooke walked a little ahead of the group chatting as if they were the oldest of friends.

Back at the condo, all five adults gave in to fatigue.

"I've had a long day," Brooke said when Tucker asked if anyone was up for playing cards, "Been up since three a.m. Sun. Beer. Food. I'm spent." She tossed the couch cushions on the floor and unfolded the bed.

"Thanks for taking the sofa bed, sis," Sarah said.

Brooke took two pillows and an additional blanket from the foyer closet and started making the bed. "No problem. It's comfortable."

Noah, who had been getting ready for bed, darted into the living room clad in his Thomas the Tank Engine pajamas with a book in his hands. "Brookey? Read?"

Olivia followed him. "No, sweet boy, come on, I'll read you the book and then it's bedtime."

"It's ok, Olivia. I don't mind." Brooke helped Noah onto the sofa bed. "You wanna sleep with me tonight, Noah? We can watch TV all night. Not that I'm going to be awake."

"Cartoons?" Noah requested, and then he settled in amongst the pillows. "Mama? Bernie?"

Brooke flipped the television to cartoon network and Olivia retrieved the bear and handed it to him.

"I don't think he'll last long," Olivia predicted, "No nap and all that energy spent today? I give him ten minutes."

"That's perfect because I give _me_ ten minutes, too," Brooke switched off the lamp so the only light came from the animation on the screen. She cradled Noah at her side and his eyes started to droop.

"Well, bring him in here if he gets on your nerves," Olivia instructed.

"We'll be fine."

"Ok, good night."

"Night."

Olivia returned to the bedroom to find Ed face down on top of the bed, still fully clothed. "Are you ok?"

"I'm exhausted. And sore. I think it's from Frisbee."

Olivia straddled him and kneaded her fingers into his back and shoulders.

"That feels _so_ good," he moaned.

"Noah is sleeping with Brooke tonight."

"Oh yeah?"

"Yes." She bent down and kissed the back of his neck. "I'll get changed and then I'll keep taking care of those sore muscles of yours."

"Why get changed?" Ed flipped over, still under Olivia, and fumbled with her shorts which, in addition to the zipper and button also had strings. Olivia swiftly removed her tank top and then her bra. She lowered herself and kissed Ed gently and slowly while he pawed at her breasts. Like everyone else in the condo, Olivia was tired, but today an inexplicable and ultra-intense layer of attraction for Ed had been stirring within her. Maybe it was seeing him play with Noah in the ocean. Maybe it was his request for her to send him the picture she took of them in the surf. Maybe it was seeing him interact with his daughters again. Or, it could be the excitement of being outside of their element, away from the city, _living together_ for almost a week.

Tonight they made love tenderly and deliberately; they were perhaps a bit mindful that at any moment a sleepy Noah could be returned to them. But it didn't matter. The two of them had never had _bad_ sex. Afterwards they lay tangled in the sheets and one another's arms and legs, allowing their breathing to return to normal, both sets of hands still exploring the other's body.

"This just keeps getting better," Olivia murmured, not really sure what she meant, but it was what she felt at the moment.

"What does?"

 _Of course he had to ask._

"I don't know," she replied, " _This_. Us. The whole thing."

"It's supposed to do that, you know. Get better and better."

"Is it?"

"Yes."

"That's never happened to me before," Olivia said regretfully, " _Obviously_. It's good until it's not, and then things fall apart."

Ed disentangled himself just enough to be able to look in her eyes. "Well, that's over. No more falling apart," he caressed her cheek, "I promise."

"Thank you," she whispered.

His eyes filled with an endearing mixture of childlike innocence and burning desire. "You're welcome," he replied earnestly.

Then, he kissed her until she fell asleep.


	4. Chapter 4

_Note/Disclaimer: Part of the fun of this for me is creating the part of DW's characters that we don't get to see. This series is all about that…and about my hopes for #Tuckson. I've had some comments about this being a bit OOC…and I get it…but I'm making my best guess about how these characters would act if they were "real life."_

 **Confessions and Competition**

Sarah looked up from her cards and caught a glimpse of Noah lounging in the Papasan with his pile of Hot Wheels, his bear, and some assorted Legos. Of course, the floor would have been a more appropriate venue for cars and blocks, but he had been obsessed with the large, round chair from the moment he saw it. "Olivia, Noah is so good," she marveled. "Does he ever cry? Or whine? Or throw a total tantrum, like, kicking and screaming?"

"Not very often," Olivia said proudly, "Usually only when he's sick. Or tired."

"Well, if I am guaranteed children that well-behaved I would have six or seven," Sarah proclaimed, not really thinking about her audience.

Both Tucker and Jeff raised their eyebrows.

Brooke cracked up as she played her turn. Tonight's game was rummy and she and Ed were neck-and-neck at the top of the leaderboard. "Oooooweeee," she sang, "You, sister, sure know how to raise Dad's blood pressure," she inspected the sets laid out around the table and placed two more cards down, "And Jeff's."

"Oh come on," Sarah retorted as if she and Brooke were the only two people in the room, "Daddy knows someday he'll also be _granddaddy_. But I was just speaking hypothetically. It was a _compliment_. For _Olivia_. _Relax_." Sarah was sitting, appropriately, between Ed and Jeff at the round table. She leaned over and gave her dad a playful half-hug.

Tucker set his jaw and tried to act irritated, but Brooke changed the subject. "Jeez, Dad, you are _red_."

Olivia was on the other side of Ed, and she placed a hand on his cheek. It was boiling. "Oh, Ed, let me get you some aloe."

He protested mildly, but his face did hurt, so he let Olivia retrieve the aloe from the bathroom. When she returned, she smeared the gel on his cheeks and forehead. Brooke noticed him lightly run his fingers along the back of her bare leg as she stood over him, but Ed's oldest daughter didn't pounce on the opportunity to tease him. Maybe later.

Earlier that afternoon, the three women left the boys at home to hang out at the pool while they took a drive to the various Outer Banks shops to look around and have lunch. Noah, Jeff, and Ed planned to hang out at the pool for a little while and then wander down the beach to have a happy hour cocktail.

"At least Noah appears to have been properly sunscreened," Brooke reported, peering over at Noah. "And, Jeff, well, you were already sunburned. Are you making up that story about working for the Phillies?"

He shot her a look reminiscent of an annoyed little brother, "No. But I also golf. And play tennis. And bike."

"The perks of working at night!" Sarah pointed out.

Olivia finished attending to Ed's sunburn and went to the kitchen to wash her hands. "Does anyone need anything?" She asked.

"I'll take another beer," Tucker requested. He'd been drinking almost all day but he didn't care. He was on vacation.

Olivia handed him a bottle of the local IPA he liked, touching it first to his neck. He shuddered.

"Sorry," she apologized playfully and gave him a peck on top of the head.

Sarah noticed the kiss. She also noticed the kisses on the beach. And the hand-holding on the balcony. Buoyed by alcohol-fueled courage, she cooed, "You two are _so_ cute!"

Tucker glowered at her, hoping to convince Sarah he was annoyed.

She knew better. "Brooke, don't you think they're adorable?"

"Yes."

Sarah looked curiously at her father with her big blue eyes sparkling. "So did you notice we were low on sunblock so you gave it all to Noah? Is that what happened? Very gallant."

The entire group, including Ed, burst into laughter.

Noah, startled and suddenly interested in what the adults were doing, struggled to wiggle out of the chair. Ed rushed over to help him. "Come on over here with us, bud, we need more men at this table." Tucker took his seat, this time with Noah in his lap, and examined his cards. "Here," Ed directed him, "put these two down." Noah did as he was told. Ed did the same thing with another card, then another, until he was out. "We win that one," he told Noah.

"Yay!" Olivia prompted him. "You and Tuck win!"

"Yay!" Noah repeated, waving his arms around, almost knocking over Ed's beer. Tucker grabbed it just in time.

"Another hand?" Jeff asked.

"Yes," Sarah said, grabbing the messy pile of cards. "And I need another, something. What do we have? I'm sick of this beer."

"We have too much alcohol here," Tucker said wryly.

She turned her bright blue eyes on Jeff, "Sweetie will you make me a gin-and-tonic?"

Jeff obliged.

Sarah was not finished interrogating her father. "Daddy, did you tell Noah to call you 'Tuck' or did he do that on his own?"

Ed looked at Olivia. "That was all Noah," Olivia answered.

"Adorable," Brooke remarked.

Sarah giggled, "Remember when one of us brought friends home and they would say 'Mister Tucker' instead of whatever Dad was at the time? And Dad would correct them. Like, they would say 'Mister' and before they said 'Tucker,' he'd interrupt and say, 'Sergeant.' So funny."

Brooke rolled her eyes. " _Now_ it is."

Ed whispered to Noah, but he made sure it was loud enough so everyone could hear. "Noah promise me when you are sitting here twenty years from now you will not torment me the way the girls do." Noah reached up and patted Tucker just below the ear as if he understood. _I got you, Tuck._

It wasn't long before Noah, who had been consistently staying up well past his bedtime on this vacation, was nodding off in Ed's arms. Tucker cradled him and played cards one-handed, not particularly eager to put him down.

At the conclusion of yet another game, Olivia yawned and announced she was turning in for the night. Wine, sun, shopping, and food had overcome her. She took Noah and wished everyone goodnight.

"I'll be in soon," Ed told her.

When it was apparent neither Jeff nor Sarah were going to usurp Brook and Ed at the top of the leaderboard, they turned in as well. Brooke and Ed decided to continue the battle for first place.

"Dad, can we take a quick break?"

Ed nodded. Sarah found her purse and took out two cigarettes. She held one out to Ed, "Are you still smoking?"

"I've been trying not to. And I thought you quit?"

"It's hard when I'm drinking. And I've been drinking _a lot_ today."

"Well, I started back up after the mess Eugene got me into."

They moved out to the balcony. Brooke lit her smoke and passed the lighter to Tucker. They stood at the railing looking out into the ocean.

"I really like Olivia, Dad."

"I do too."

Brooke stared at him until he met her gaze. "I think you more than like her."

"You're right."

"I've never seen you act like this with anyone before. Not even mom."

"Brooke," Ed was matter-of-fact, "Your mom and I were having a rough time long before we got divorced. But we were in love once."

"But the way you _look_ at Olivia. And you even _touch_ her and _kiss_ her in front of everybody. It's like you're a different guy. It's good. I like it."

"We had to keep things under wraps for so long," Ed mused, "It feels good to not have to hide. And I certainly don't want to keep it a secret around you and Sarah."

"Of course not," Brooke replied, "And Noah loves you."

"He warmed up to me quickly," Ed boasted. "And I wasn't sure how that would all go, how we would work when it had to be the _three_ of us, but it's great."

Brooke was absolutely intrigued. She had never heard her father talk like this before. Even his voice—it was usually so edgy and harsh and now it was gentle and kind of compassionate albeit still gravelly and unmistakably that of a police officer. She decided to press him further. "Are you living together?"

Ed blew a stream of smoke away from Brooke, "No. But I think I have more clothes at her place than at mine."

"Do you _want_ to live together?"

Tucker shrugged. "It's up to her. Things are really good right now. I don't want to press the issue if she's not ready to talk about it."

Brooke nodded, understanding his point. "We had fun today shopping."

"Buy anything?"

"I didn't. Olivia got those two shirts for Noah. Sarah, of course, bought like five sundresses."

Ed forced an exasperated laugh. "I don't know what we're going to do with her. I hope Jeff makes a lot of money."

Brooke looked down, trying to hide her smile. You could not fool her Dad. _He knows Sarah is lying about how long she and Jeff have been together._

She was right. Ed knew. He hadn't known at first, but seeing how comfortable they were with one another gave them away.

"What?" Tucker asked her.

Brooke stubbed out her cigarette in the nearby fern. "Nothing. You want another one?"

"One more. And will you bring the bourbon out here?"

She returned with the bottle, two glasses, and the pack of cigarettes.

Tucker poured each of them a bourbon and lit another smoke. For a while they sat across from one another in contemplative silence. Both Brooke and Ed cherished these talks. They usually occurred on birthdays or Christmases or other holidays when they were all together and the others had either gone home or were asleep.

Brooke had recently cut her hair into a chin-length bob which made her appear older and more sophisticated. With Sarah, Tucker felt like he was looking into a mirror, but Brooke was more of a combination of him and his ex-wife. Her features were softer, her face round, and even though she was just as good-natured and fun-loving as Sarah, Brooke was more thoughtful and less spontaneous. She was a good listener, and for as young as she was, she had keen insight.

"You know," Brooke started talking again, curiosity in her voice, "when we were at lunch today, Olivia said she'd never been married. I can't believe that."

Ed furrowed his brow, "How did you get on _that_ subject?"

"Guess." she replied sarcastically.

 _Dumb question-Sarah._

"Well, when you have jobs like ours a lot of times you get married to it," Ed pointed out reflectively, "and you kind of forget time is passing."

"And she told us all about rescuing Noah and the judge surprising her with the foster care and then the adoption. So awesome."

Ed stared over at Brooke, stunned that Olivia had opened up so much to her and Sarah. Wait… _Sarah_. Sarah the loose cannon. What _else_ did she ask Olivia? "How did Sarah manage to get her going on _that_?" Ed asked cautiously.

"She didn't. We were just talking about being in SVU. She said most detectives don't last very long, but she loves it and feels a higher purpose in it. Then she mentioned if it weren't for her job she probably never would have gotten Noah."

Tucker was relieved. He had been concerned because Sarah often spoke without thinking, and she most likely knew about the William Lewis trial which had not been just New York news; it had been covered throughout the region, including Philadelphia where she lived. He hoped Sarah would have enough sense to keep her questions about Lewis to herself if she had realized that _his_ Olivia Benson was _that_ Olivia Benson.

Ed wondered what else Olivia had revealed about Noah. Would she have told them about Johnny D, too? No, Ed decided, she wouldn't have a reason to go there with the girls. It didn't matter now. "Well you got a lot of information this afternoon," he concluded, smiling over at Brooke and downing the rest of his bourbon.

"We did."

Ed noticed Brooke looking fixedly at him the way he imagined she stared at the disobedient middle schoolers she taught. "What?"

"Don't screw this up, Dad." She warned.

He seemed hurt. "Why would I do that?"

She shrugged. "I'm just saying."

 _And slurring_ , Ed thought. It was time to go to bed. He'd had enough for the night.

"You want help with the sofa bed?"

"No, I got it." Brooke stretched out on the loveseat and lit another cigarette.

"Don't fall asleep out here."

"I won't."

"And don't fall asleep with your cigarette lit."

She gave him a tipsy salute. "Kiss Olivia for me."

…

Ed undressed in the bathroom, brushed his teeth and washed his face, neck, and hands, trying to mask the smell of cigarettes. He crawled into bed next to Olivia, clad only in boxers, and nuzzled her a little more aggressively than he normally would, trying to wake her. She stirred ever so slightly but did not open her eyes. He kissed her bare shoulder, then her neck, then her cheek and pulled her body against his.

"Liv," he whispered.

"Mmmmm."

Progress.

"Lieutenant," he whispered again, this time directly in her ear, running his tongue along her earlobe.

Her lips formed a faint smile and she mumbled something incoherently.

Undeterred, he stroked her stomach with his fingertips and kissed her again on the cheek and neck.

She reached behind her and caressed the back of his head, still refusing to fully come out of what had been a peaceful slumber.

"Liv."

"Hmmm?"

"Wake up."

"Ed," she mumbled, "Noah…"

"I just want to kiss you."

She turned towards him and opened her eyes slightly. "Riiight."

"And tell you something."

She opened her eyes wider as he played with her hair, waiting impatiently for her to come to consciousness.

She could smell the salty beach air on him. His warm breath was full of alcohol and mouthwash, and, yes, cigarettes.

"Tell me what?" She rubbed her eyes with the back of her hand, smearing what was left of her mascara and eyeshadow. She was so tired when she collapsed in bed that she hadn't bothered to wipe off her makeup.

"Look at me," he insisted.

Their eyes met—hers dark and sleepy, his blue and shimmering with desire.

He took a deep breath. "Olivia. You're the best thing to happen to me since Brooke and Sarah were born." Another breath. "I'm…so…in _love_ with you. I will _always_ love you. I _always_ want to be with you."

He had her attention now. Part of her assumed he was drunk and rambling, but she was so enraptured by what he'd just said she decided to take it at face value. "Ed," she murmured. "I…"

Tucker put a finger over her lips. "No, no, don't say anything." He held her tightly as he began kissing her. He concentrated hard on what he was doing, wanting the kiss to be absolutely perfect, to communicate to her via his lips and tongue that he was permanently hers if she wanted it to be that way. Respecting that Noah was five feet away in his portable toddler bed, he kept his hands outside of Olivia's clothes, locking her in a possessive embrace, taking pleasure in the simplicity of her body against his and loving that, for all her sleepiness, she kissed back with equal gusto.

When they finally pulled away from one another's lips, Tucker refused to let her go. "Stay like this," he commanded, craving the comfort of her head on his chest.

Olivia fell back asleep easily in Ed's arms. They often fell asleep wrapped up with one another, but rarely did they remain that way for the entire night. Tonight, though, Ed kept his arms slung around her, even when one limb became numb, and even when he finally fell into his own deep, contented sleep.

…..

The next morning, every adult in the condo felt the effects of the previous day's alcohol binge.

"Well," Sarah announced resolutely as she shook a bottle of Bloody Mary Mix, "There is nothing else to do but get right back on the horse."

Brooke and Jeff glared at her with disgust.

"You don't want one?" Sarah asked, disappointed. "We have all the stuff to go with it-olives, celery, lemon, lime…vodka…c'mon, you'll feel better."

"Fine," Brooke conceded, "and I'm sure Dad'll make breakfast."

Jeff's face hadn't seen a razor since they'd arrived and he looked extra scruffy in addition to being haggard from yesterday. His voice was hoarse, "Where are they?"

"Took Noah for a walk on the beach."

"Man," Jeff marveled, "Your dad can _drink_."

"How much did you drink before we came back from shopping?" Brooke asked.

Jeff thought. "Let's see. We took a six pack to the pool and split it. Then we went down the street to that oyster bar and had some oysters and more beer and then on the way back stopped for a couple of vodka tonics. Then we came back and, well, you were here."

Sarah shook her head with mock shame, "Poor Noah, looked after by drunks, barhopping at the age of two. Did you at least feed him?"

"He ate a lot of junk. Chicken fingers, cookies, ice cream…I'm surprised he ate dinner."

Brooke rifled through her purse searching for Advil or Tylenol…anything to take care of her splitting headache. She found nothing. "Does anyone have any ibuprofen or something?"

"I just have vodka," Sarah replied sassily, sliding an expertly garnished tumbler across the kitchen island toward her sister. "Go look in Dad's bathroom, I'm sure he has something."

Brooke hesitated, "I'm not going in there. It's kind of Olivia's space, too."

"Oh, please," Sarah scoffed. "It's just the medicine cabinet. What do you think, he has, like, sex tapes playing on a loop in there or something?" Jeff and Brooke both laughed as Sarah darted in and out of the bedroom but came back empty-handed. "Nothing," she reported. "Sorry." She took a sip of her drink and looked pleased with her bartending skills. "So it does look like they're sleeping together."

"Uh, _hel-lo_? Duh." Brooke shot her sister an incredulous glance. "Of course they're sleeping together, and by sleeping I mean not just _sleeping_. Dad's been talking about her for months now. You didn't think they were _doing it?_

"It's just funny to see him in boyfriend mode," Sarah went over and hugged Jeff by the neck, "He's like, so, ga-ga over her. Like you are with me," she told Jeff and gave him a peck on the cheek. "Maybe now is the time to tell him we're going to move in together."

"I don't think that's a good idea," Jeff said.

Brooke agreed. "Don't do it. You don't know how he'll react and we still have two more days here."

"Maybe I should have Olivia sort of, well, get him used to the idea," Sarah thought aloud.

Jeff objected, "Don't do that to her."

"Just tell him over the phone in a couple weeks," Brooke suggested.

"I really don't think it's a big deal," Jeff said. "You're twenty-five years old."

"Trust me," Sarah said, "He's nutso when it comes to his little girls. Let me handle it."

Their conversation had to end because Ed, Olivia, and Noah returned from their walk just then. Noah, full of energy, ran to greet Jeff and then Brooke and then Sarah who hoisted him on top of the island.

"Hi, No! Didja have a good walk?"

Noah held out his hand to her, offering a shell he'd collected along the way. "Here, Sarah," he said, pronouncing the "r" as a "w."

" _Thank you_ ," she gushed, "You sure know how to treat a lady!"

"You're drinking again?" Ed asked, shaking his head in disbelief.

"We couldn't find any Advil, so we figured we'd do the hair-of-the-dog method."

Olivia found her purse and produced a bottle of Advil, "Here, I have some."

Sarah smiled at Brooke, "Thanks, Olivia, we looked everywhere but your purse."

Olivia grinned at her.

Tucker was on the balcony cleaning up the mess he and Brooke made last night. The wind had taken care of most of their stray ashes, but the glass table was sticky with bourbon and the makeshift ashtray, the fern, needed to be cleared out.

"Dad?" Brooke called through the open door. "Are you going to make breakfast?"

"Or we could go out," Jeff offered.

"No way," Sarah replied, "I look and feel like crap."

"I'll do it," Olivia said. "Noah," she put him down, "Wanna play with mommy's iPad?" His face brightened. "Brooke, my iPad is over there on the table, will you turn it on for him? He knows how to get to the games."

"Sure," Brooke answered. Jeff, Sarah, and Brooke went over to the sofa, and Brooke plopped Noah in the Papasan.

Tucker joined Olivia in the kitchen. Neither one of them was an expert chef, but they could handle eggs and bacon. The kitchen was spacious enough for several people; even so, Ed made sure to accidentally-on-purpose bump into her every chance he got. As she held a large mixing bowl and whisked the eggs, he slid his arms around her waist from behind, nuzzling her neck and looking out at the four "kids" in the living room and the ocean in the distance.

The two of them had interacted more with Noah than with each other on the brief walk mostly because they were shaking off the cobwebs from yesterday, but partially because of the teeniest bit of awkwardness Ed had created by confessing his undying and endless love for Benson in the midst of a bourbon/vodka/beer-induced stupor.

He needed to clear that up.  
"This is perfect," he said softly. Jeff had turned the television on and the sounds of ESPN's Sportscenter filled the room, so there was little chance of anyone else hearing him. Also, the hungover twenty-somethings were not interested in anything other than their impending breakfast and were not watching Ed and Olivia.

She continued whisking and agreed, "It is…how are you feeling?" Olivia was glad she'd gone to bed when she did. She felt a little fuzzy but not nearly as bad as she imagined the rest of them felt after drinking all day and night _and_ mixing beer and liquor.

"Fine," he lied. His head was actually pounding and he was planning to ask Sarah to make him a Bloody Mary to have with his food. That would probably do the trick. He didn't want to ask Olivia for Advil. "And, like I said, this is perfect."

She moved to pour the eggs into the frying pan, so he released her from his grip and pushed the bacon around the skillet.

"I meant what I said last night," He said out of the side of his mouth, still staring straight ahead.

Olivia leaned into him. "I wasn't sure if you remembered."

He laughed nervously, "Like when you're their age, right?" He gestured to the twenty-somethings, "You drink too much and say things you don't mean and don't remember anyway?"

"Right."

"Brooke and I had a long talk. She told me not to screw this up."

Olivia concentrated on the eggs. "Have you often screwed things up?"

"Only once that mattered."

She wasn't quite sure how to respond. She knew he meant his marriage. She also knew from their previous conversations that he hadn't had a serious, long-term relationship since he'd been married, but she just now realized that this was new for him, and maybe his effort to make _her_ feel secure was actually a ruse to erase some of the vulnerability _he_ was feeling.

She finished with the eggs and skidded the pan across the stove. This time, she slid her arms around his waist. "If you're trying to screw things up," she said, "you're doing a really bad job at it."

He abandoned the bacon and faced her. "If I'm ever toeing the line, let me know." He tilted her chin up towards him and kissed her—Ed employed that outwardly innocent kiss of his where he let his lower lip linger for a split second, suggesting, if it weren't for the timing, he really would have gone for something more intimate.

Olivia raised an eyebrow and gave him her best Ed Tucker smirk. "Deal."

…..

As they were eating breakfast the sky clouded over and the predicted scattered thunderstorms moved in. Rain pelted the windows and thunderous clouds hovered over the ocean. Noah pressed his face to the glass door, mesmerized by Mother Nature.

"Cards?" Jeff suggested drowsily.

The girls shook their heads.

"How 'bout a movie?" Sarah suggested.

Brooke agreed, "Dad, let's watch _Summer Rental_! We always watch it here!"

"Oh, that's a good one," Olivia agreed.

Ed found the DVD, put it in the player, and returned to the couch. Noah was now on the floor entertaining himself with his toys, but the rest of the group left the Papasan open for him. Sarah and Jeff cuddled up in the armchair large enough for two. Brooke sat on one end of the sofa, and Tucker sat on the other end, Olivia nestled under his arm. He and Olivia were the only two who made it through the first half of the film.

"Everyone's asleep," Ed observed, scanning the room. Noah was curled up with Bernie and his Thomas blanket, Brooke was drooling on the armrest, Sarah was sprawled in the armchair, and Jeff, ceding the chair to his girlfriend, was snoozing on the floor, his head resting on one of Brooke's pillows.

"Do you want to keep watching?" Olivia asked, already knowing the answer.

"Let's leave it on." Ed stood up, "But you're coming with me." He led her to the bedroom, holding her hand.

As soon as he closed the door quietly behind them he began methodically removing her clothes, carefully paying attention to every inch of skin he revealed, trying to kiss every part of her body.

He was intent on finishing what he'd started last night. Ed Tucker was not a man of many eloquent words, so he relied on other ways to show his affection, his love, and his passion for Olivia. He gently lifted her onto the bed and methodically began making love to her. By now he knew precisely where she liked to be touched and caressed and teased, and he made sure to hit all the right spots. Every time she made an attempt to be even the least bit assertive he gently declined; right now was all about him pouring all of his sexual and emotional energy into her body and soul. She could reciprocate later.

There was very little time to bask in the afterglow, but they did devote a few minutes to remain entangled, staring into each other's eyes, not really knowing exactly what to say but able to understand and appreciate one another via the unspoken and esoteric chemistry felt only by those deeply in love.

They were brought out of the amorous trance by voices and footsteps. The condo was coming back to life.

Ed broke away from her and stretched out, brushing the back of his palm playfully across Olivia's face.

"I'm going to shower," he said lazily. "You wanna go out for dinner?"

Olivia gazed at him, "Yes," she said light-heartedly, "I think we expended all culinary skills on breakfast."

Ed moved to get out of bed, but Olivia pulled him back. "You're amazing," she whispered seductively into his ear, knowing she was not only lauding his sexual prowess but also tapping in to his general masculinity, his skills and instincts as an investigator, and his attentiveness to fatherhood. Ed Tucker took pride in being a good man, and Olivia's complement had a way of gratifying him on all possible levels.

He didn't really know what to say in response, so he just kissed her and headed to the shower. He turned on the fan and closed the door, but then had a thought.

"Hey," he stuck his head out before Olivia went back into the living room.  
"Yeah?"

"I never wanted to be amazing before I met you." His eyes sparkled, and then he disappeared into the shower.

Olivia teared up, once again overwhelmed by Ed Tucker's unexpected eloquence.


	5. Chapter 5

**Always** _(I still can't get over that last Tuckson scene in Unholiest Alliance)_

Tucker's phone vibrated.

Olivia looked over instinctively. She didn't pay attention to the caller, but she did recognize the lock screen photo. It was the one she took of him and Noah in the ocean two days ago.

Her heart melted.

Because of his mother's job, Noah had been exposed to his share of babysitters, so he was comfortable around unfamiliar people. From the moment Ed Tucker came into their lives, Noah gravitated toward him, and to Olivia's surprise, Tucker stepped right in and had taken it upon himself to become a key part of Noah's upbringing. If Olivia was working or had errands to run, Ed stepped in and took Noah on a walk and usually ended up at the park's playground. Since IAB's hours were relatively predictable, Ed would eagerly take over for Lucy if Benson was consumed by a case. And now, in the late afternoon sun, Ed held Noah as he attempted to shoot a miniature basketball into the floating basketball hoop. Jeff and Sarah played a loose defense and Noah squealed with delight as Ed weaved him closer and closer to the basket.

Brooke and Olivia lounged poolside and sipped very strong margaritas which had been pre-mixed by Sarah, the resident bartender.

"I really should get in there and play with Noah," Brooke remarked, "They have to be burning a zillion calories."

"And here we sit just consuming them," Olivia said sarcastically, holding up the faux margarita glass.

"Cheers," Brooke said. She looked up. "Do you want me to move the umbrella? You're not getting any sun."

"I'm good," Olivia reported, "The boat was enough."

Earlier that day Ed decided to rent a Pontoon boat to cruise along the intercostal waterway. The group departed just after breakfast and returned mid-afternoon having spent several hours basking in the pleasant scenery, marveling at the flora and fauna, and appreciating the cooler temperatures. The previous day's rain gave way to a muggy night, but the morning registered at a crisp seventy-eight degrees. The afternoon was supposed to be ridiculously hot, so Ed thought this would be the perfect time to take a boat ride.

"I need to work on my tan," Brooke said, "And I prefer doing it this way than on my rooftop."

"Have you thought about moving back to Manhattan?" Olivia asked.

"Not really. I like my school. It's a tough place to teach sometimes, but the kids really need me." Brooke taught sixth grade in the South Bronx, a notoriously dangerous place to live, work, and grow up. "And I don't want to have a long commute. Or outrageous rent."

Olivia smiled at her admiringly, "I'm impressed, Brooke. Not many people can do what you do."

"The same can be said for you," Brooke pointed out.

"Mommy!"

Noah held himself up at the side of the pool with Ed's assistance. He beamed at his mother as beads of water dripped down his face. Even though Noah wore a life jacket, Ed seemed to insist on holding him.

"Hey, Liv, can you bring me a beer? And his water?"

Olivia surreptitiously poured an IPA from a glass bottle to a plastic cup and brought that and Noah's water bottle over to the pool. Ed playfully grabbed her ankle. "Should mommy come in, Noah?"

"Yeah!" Noah shouted.

"Maybe later," Olivia said, patting Noah on the head and giving Ed a stern look. _It doesn't matter how cute you are, if you pull me in, there will be war._

Ed took a long drink but still held Olivia's ankle. He looked up at her mischievously.

"Later…" he murmured.

Noah put the water bottle down and tried to break away from Ed. "Tuck!" He said, swallowing some water, "Tuck! Ball!"

Jeff had thrown the ball towards Noah, and he swam after it.

"Kick, Noah!" Ed instructed. "You gotta kick, too!"

Olivia returned to her lounge chair and to Brooke. "Your dad sure is good with kids."

Brooke smiled, "He is. And I also think he likes being around a boy. Sarah and I were never really into sports or anything. I mean, we love going to games and stuff, but playing sports? Not really our thing. So he's probably gonna try to make Noah the next great Yankees pitcher."

Sarah came out of the pool and stood over Brooke, dripping. "Where's my towel?"

Brooke shrugged. "Did you bring one down?"

Sarah helped herself to a drink from Brooke's margarita. "I don't know. I think so."

"Here," Olivia tossed her Noah's Thomas towel, "Use this."

Sarah inspected it. "Oh, good. Thomas. Love him. Thanks!" She dried herself and took a seat. " _Gawwwwd_ , it is hot. I can't believe you two haven't gone in the pool."

"It's nice in the shade," Olivia said.

"I have to soak up as much Vitamin E as I can," Sarah screwed up her face, "Or is it D? Whatever…I work in an office all day so I need the sun as much as possible. Although," she inspected her arms, "I feel like I'm getting a little overcooked."

Brooke tossed her Noah's sunblock, "Here. It's purple."

Sarah sprayed some on her arms and legs, laughing at the color.

"Sare! Look!" Jeff shouted to Sarah, but the show was for everybody. Noah became bored with basketball and was now standing at the edge of the pool, daring himself to jump in. "Come on, Noah," Jeff coaxed, "You did it the other day. Jump, buddy! I'll catch you!"

Noah glanced over his shoulder at his mother who smiled encouragingly at him.

He jumped.

Olivia held her breath, wondering how he would react.

Noah resurfaced triumphantly, hands in the air, screaming with delight, bobbing up and down in the water due to the assistance of his life jacket. Ed looked on proudly, drink in hand.

"Go Noah!" Olivia cheered. She grabbed her phone. "Do it again, Noah! Mommy wants a video!"

Jeff hoisted him up and Noah prepped for another jump. "Tuck!" He called. "Tuck! Catch!"

It was all captured on video. Little Noah requesting that Tucker come over and catch him as he crashed into the water. Of course, Ed quickly made his way into the landing area. Noah jumped again, this time with a running start. Ed lifted him out of the water and high over his head, doing a sort of bench-press with him, and then let him fall back into the water.

Noah swam for Jeff, and Ed turned to Olivia.

"Send that one to me," he said, shaking his head vigorously, trying to get water out of his ears. "And standby. I think we're going to get him to flip."

Olivia nodded, humoring Ed, and went back to the lounge.

"I am soooo hungry," Sarah said. "Olivia, what are we eating tonight?"

"Shrimp on the grill and we bought a couple of different pasta salads this morning."

"That sounds good," Brooke said, "Dad cannot cook but he's awesome on the grill."

Sarah cast Olivia an intense stare. "Has Dad tried to cook for you?"

"Just breakfast."

"Yeah," Brooke said, "That's his thing."

Sarah added, "He can do pasta too."

"But remember Thanksgiving?" Sarah reminisced.

"Oh God."

Sarah lowered her voice, "Olivia, the first time we were with Dad on Thanksgiving just by ourselves he wanted to make sure it was, like, normal, 'cause they'd just gotten a divorce. So we're at Grandma's and you would think Grams would cook, but she's not a turkey person, she was making everything but turkey and Dad insisted there be a turkey."

"And who really cares about turkey?" Brooke pointed out.

Sarah continued, "But he did, so turkey's in the oven along with all of Grandma's stuff because to her it was just like Sunday dinner and it was like shepherd's pie and everything."

"And the fucking turkey never cooked." Brooke spat out sarcastically. She and Sarah started laughing hysterically.

"It was still pink after all those hours," Sarah was nearly choking on her drink.

Olivia felt bad for Ed, "That's so sad…he was trying to make it nice for you."

Sarah quickly got serious, "He always is about tradition," she said reflectively, "and, other than Christmas, tonight and tomorrow are probably his faves."

Brooke nodded in agreement. "He really likes planning the fireworks, and then, tomorrow, we'll get out on the beach early to get a good spot."

"He's been telling Noah about it all day," Sarah said. "Olivia, he _loves_ Noah."

"I know."

Brooke smirked, "I also think he _loves_ Olivia."

Sarah rolled her eyes. "Ob-vi-ous-ly, Brookey."

Olivia, embarrassed, decided to get in the water. Ed, Jeff, and Noah were at the far end of the pool, so she startled Ed when she came up behind him.

" _Lieutenant_ ," he greeted her flirtatiously.

"Hi," she teasingly ran her fingers along his lower back, just inside the elastic of his black swim trunks. He gave her a sideways glance, but her attention had already shifted.

"Noah! Swim to mommy!"

Jeff gave Noah a little push in Olivia's direction and Noah kicked and paddled towards Olivia and Ed. "C'mon, bud!" Ed coached.

Olivia looked back and forth between Ed and Noah. Apparently, Jeff and Ed had given her son some rudimentary swimming lessons because they were shouting commands that Noah seemed to understand but were foreign to Olivia. Also, during Noah's twenty-foot swim, he kept his eyes open and fixed on Ed, determined to reach his outstretched arms.

For a minute, Olivia felt left out. Noah wasn't swimming to her, he was swimming to Ed. But the moment Ed swooped him up, Noah dove at her, wrapping his little arms around her neck. She kissed his cheek hard. "Good job, Noah! You're such a good swimmer! Did Tuck teach you?"

Noah smiled and pointed across the pool. "Jeff!" he said.

"We took him out of the life jacket earlier," Ed admitted, "and had him swim between us."

"That's good," Olivia said, "I want him to learn how to swim."

"When we get home we can sign him up for classes."

 _We_.

Jeff sensed the three of them were having a moment and he was getting a bit water logged anyway, so he got out of the pool. Tucker held Noah in one arm and wrapped his other arm around Olivia's waist.

"You wanna show mommy how you swim on your own?"

Noah nodded and smiled, trying to wriggle out of his vest. Tucker removed it and tossed it on the patio. He then pushed Noah toward Olivia, shouting "kick and paddle!"

He made it. They gradually increased the distance until Noah was swimming the width of the pool unassisted.

"Ed," Olivia called over to him after what seemed like Noah's twentieth lap. The sun was beginning its descent and she was sure everyone was ready to eat. "Let's head upstairs and get dinner going."

…..

After they'd gorged on shrimp and pasta salad, Sarah arranged the cooler for the Third of July Fireworks Display.

"I don't get it," Jeff said, " _Third_ of July?"

"Dad always does this," Brooke explained, "Because when he was a cop he always had to work the fourth so we had the third."

"He's still a cop," Jeff pointed out.

"I _mean_ , when we were younger he didn't have as much seniority so he always had to work."

"Now he can do whatever he wants," Jeff surmised.

"Yep!" Sarah said. "So we get two days."

Tucker was already on the beach, strategically placing the fireworks near the shore. Noah was with him, sauntering about, never far from Ed's watchful eye. Some of the neighbors had begun filtering down, knowing that this night was a good preview of tomorrow's fireworks show. Tucker wasn't the only guy arranging an amateur show.

To Tucker's dismay, Kill Devil Hills had become a renter's paradise, so it was uncommon to see the same people from year to year; however, the holidays usually brought familiar faces. One of those faces began setting up shop just as Ed was finishing his fireworks arrangement.

"Hey, Ed, you mind if we plant ourselves here?"

Ed turned. The guy was his neighbor, owned the unit two doors down from his. But he couldn't remember his name. "No problem," Ed answered, and then turned his attention on Noah, "No, come back over here bud!"

The neighbor beamed at Noah. "Congratulations," he told Ed, sounding like he wanted to ask when and how he had come into possession of a little kid.

Tucker wanted to laugh.

"Noah, let's do one sparkler before mommy comes, ok?"

Noah looked at Ed conspiratorially.

Ed placed a sparkler in Noah's hand. "Don't move, bud."

He lit the end.

Noah's eyes lit up as he held the sparkler away from his body with the assistance of Tucker. The little boy didn't move. It was a totally new experience and he had no idea how to respond other than to be fascinated.

When it burned out Noah was disappointed.

"More Tuck!" He said.

"Let's go get mommy, bud."

Noah held up his arms and Tucker picked him up, hoisting him on his shoulders. "Hey," he addressed the neighbors, "We'll be right back."

…..

Sarah had perfectly arranged the cooler. On one side she had wine, on the other beer, and in the middle were plastic containers of cheese, fruit, and crackers. "Do you guys want any other food?"

Brooke groaned, "I may never eat again."

Tucker, with Noah now hanging on his back, came in and announced that everything was ready on the beach. "Let's get down there," he said.

Olivia tucked the large NYPD blanket under her arm, Jeff heaved the cooler onto his shoulder, and they followed Tucker and Noah outside.

"This is HUGE," Brooke said as she helped Olivia with the blanket. "Where do you get one of these?"

"I think it was my twenty-year anniversary gift," Olivia replied jokingly.

"Seriously?" Brooke asked.

Olivia laughed. "No, I won it at a fundraising event. It has certainly come in handy lately."

Jeff put the cooler down in the center and began passing out drinks.

Noah was enthralled by the activity on the beach which seemed to be more crowded now than it was during the day. He stood next to Ed, but he looked around in all directions curiously. Older kids worked on sandcastles and some were taking a swim. There was a beach volleyball game going on nearby, and another group of teenagers tossed a football back and forth. A Jimmy Buffet cover band played at one of the waterfront bars, and they could easily hear the music. Noah danced a little.

Ed picked him up and put him in Olivia's lap.

"Let's get started," he said.

Tucker lit this first cone-shaped firework. It spewed starbursts in the air. The younger children, Noah included, reacted jubilantly and the adults let our exaggerated "ooos" and "ahhhs," adding to the kids' excitement.

Noah sat obediently and sipped his juice. After each firework burned out he yelled to Ed, "More, Tuck! Another one!"

Tucker smiled, working diligently to light each fuse so there were no lulls in his pyrotechnic display.

Sarah looked around suspiciously, "I hope nobody has the Roman candle things around here. I would hate for Dad to get in a fight again."

Jeff laughed, "I actually wouldn't mind seeing that. He looks like he could kick some," he glanced at Noah, "you-know-what."

"Seems like a law-abiding crowd," Brooke commented.

Olivia scanned the beach. It was populated mostly by families with elementary-school aged kids. She enjoyed the normalcy of it all just as she'd enjoyed it in Central Park a few weeks ago; blending in with other vacationing families was a welcome respite from police life.

"Well, that's all I have," Ed took a spot on the blanket close to Olivia and sipped the beer Sarah handed him.

"Good job," Olivia complemented.

"Hey, Tucker!" The neighbor came over. "Can I use your lighter?"

Tucker dug in his pocket. "Sure." He handed over the lighter but the neighbor lingered, waiting to be introduced. _What was his name?_ "Uh, these are my daughters, Sarah and Brooke."

The girls said hello.

"And this is Jeff."

The boyfriend smiled and stood up to shake the neighbor's hand. "Jeff Matthews," he said in a professional-sounding voice.

"Ray Henderson." The neighbor replied.

 _Thank you, Jeff!_ Tucker was liking the boyfriend more and more.

Ray leaned down, inspecting Noah, "And who's this?"

"Noah," Olivia responded. "Can you say hello to Mr. Henderson?"

Noah waved at him and shyly said "hi."

"I'm Olivia," she extended her hand.

"My better half," Ed added.

The girls nudged one another and tried to stifle their giggles. _His better half?_ This Olivia Benson person had completely transformed their hard-as-nails father into a heap of syrupy-sweet mush.

"Good to see all of you," Ray said. "I guess it's my turn to put on the show. Where'd you get your fireworks, Tucker?"

"Just up the road, across from the oyster bar."

"Oh, ok, we picked ours up at a stand on the way here. I think in Rhode Island."

Tucker shook his head approvingly, "Well, let's see what the Ocean State has to offer."

When Ray was out of earshot, Brooke asked, "Do we know him?"

Ed smiled at her. "He has a condo on our floor, but we've only spoken a few times. I forgot his name." He raised his cup to Jeff, "so thanks, man."

Ray began his display. Noah, previously captivated by Ed's show, was now drifting off to sleep in Olivia's arms. Tucker took it as a compliment.

"Daddy, your fireworks were better than this guy's," Sarah said sweetly. They actually looked nearly identical, but Sarah valued the importance of buttering up her father.

Tucker looked over at her, the corners of his mouth curving into a knowing smile. She sure knew how to work him. Their relationship was a constant back-and-forth-Sarah playing the sycophant and Ed pretending to buy in to her embellished praise.

"Well, it looks like everyone's out of fire," Brooke said, "Are we ready to go in?"

Around them, people were packing up and calling it a night.

Ed looked at Olivia who didn't seem eager to go anywhere. "Do you want to stay here a little longer?" He asked.

"I do."

"Why don't you kids head in? Go ahead and take the cooler."

"Do you want us to take Noah?" Sarah offered.

"If you don't mind."

Ed took Noah from Olivia and passed him to Sarah.

"Just put him in bed like that. I'll put his pajamas on later."

"I'll do it," Sarah assured her, "I don't mind."

Olivia looked at her gratefully, "Thanks."

Sarah cradled Noah and she, Jeff, and Brooke made their way back upstairs.

"We're gonna spy on them from the balcony, right?" Sarah whispered as they walked away.

Brooke and Jeff just laughed.

…

A few people were still scattered along the beach, but no one was in their immediate vicinity. The Jimmy Buffet music still could be heard in the distance, but the waves crashing almost completely masked the sound.

Tucker sat with Olivia in front of him, leaning against his chest. He wrapped his arms around her and kissed the top of her head. She placed her hands over his.

"So I'm your better half?" She asked, a hint of mischief in her voice. Like the girls, Olivia was surprised when said that.

He was not ashamed. "You are."

"Ed, you know, I don't want you to feel like you have to always take care of Noah. You're so great with him and he loves you…but…" she trailed off. This was a perpetual point of concern with her. She and Noah were a package deal, and even though she and Ed were in a really good place in their relationship, she could not shake the feeling that eventually the pressure of being a father figure to a toddler was going to be too much for Tucker.

"But, what?"

"It's ok if you get tired of playing with him or—"

"Olivia, I thought we'd been all through this," his voice was as soft and gentle as he could possibly make it, "I _want_ to take care of you. And Noah. Both of you are part of my life now. You always will be."

She leaned her head back for a kiss and simultaneously tightened her grip on his hands. "I'm sorry," she said, "You know how I am with abandonment. I'm working on it."

"And I'll keep telling you for as long as I have to," Ed assured her, "I'm not going anywhere."

"I believe you," Olivia said, trying to silence the faint voice of doubt that constantly plagued her.

"Good," Ed replied. Then, he chuckled, thinking about his daughters. "And you know, Brooke and Sarah they're in love with you too."

"They're such good people," Olivia gushed, "You did a great job raising them."

"Thank you. It wasn't always easy," Ed sighed. " _Girls_."

Olivia laughed.

"I'm glad…" Ed hesitated, hoping he wasn't crossing a line with what he was about to say, "I'm glad I get another shot with Noah." Happy tears welled in Olivia's eyes, and she dabbed at her face with the back of her hand. Ed craned his neck around to look at her. "Hey, what's wrong?"

"Nothing," she sniffled a little bit, "Absolutely nothing. And I'm not used to this feeling of nothing being wrong."

Ed kissed her cheek, tasting the saltiness of her tears. "You'll get used to it, baby, trust me." He kissed her again. "I can't control everything, but I will make sure our _life_ is perfect."

Olivia sat up and faced him, still holding his hands. On her face was an expression of amazement and intrigue, as if she were trying to solve the most intricate of criminal cases. "Where did you come from?" She asked, not really expecting or needing an answer. As she met his lips with hers and they engaged in a passionate kiss, Olivia once again marveled at how pleasantly shocking the past year had been. Ed Tucker, who had once existed only in the background, had emerged and completely transformed her outlook on the future. Just when Olivia was resigning herself to the reality that Noah would forever be the only man in her life, Tucker swooped in and changed everything. He was generous and loving, and he understood her and all of her insecurities.

Ed's kiss became more insistent. He stroked her back with one hand and held the back of her head with the other, so it was difficult to break away.

"Ed," she murmured, her lips still on his, "let's take this inside."

He pressed his forehead against hers. "Shower?"

"Yes."

Anxious, they quickly shook the sand from the blanket and didn't bother folding it. Ed gathered the heap under his arm and took Olivia's hand, but she wanted to be closer. She slid her arm around his waist, hooking a thumb in one of the belt loops and leaned against him, her rock, as they made their way across the beach.

The unfamiliar but comforting stability overwhelmed her.

"I love you, Captain Tucker," she half-whispered, squeezing him.

"I love you too," he replied, then added for emphasis, "Always."


	6. Chapter 6

**The Fourth, Part I**

"Tuck?"

Noah's little voice stirred Tucker awake. Ed looked down and there he was, trying to scale the mattress and climb into bed with them. Noah used one of the overstuffed duffles for a boost on that first night, but the bags were now stowed in the closet.

Ed smiled at him. "Hey, No," he said soothingly, reaching out to him with one hand. "Come on." He pulled Noah up and placed him under the covers between him and Olivia which, in turn, woke her up.

"Ed," she complained, "he has to sleep in his bed. He can't keep doing this."

"It's not his bed," he protested. "He never does this at home."

Olivia groaned, but she gently stroked Noah's face and kissed his forehead. "I love you, baby boy, but when we get back to New York, you're staying _in your bed_. All night."

Noah reached up and touched her face. "Love you, mommy," he said sweetly, then he turned to Ed. "Love you, Tuck." His "love" came out sounding like "lub," adding to the adorableness of the moment.

For Ed, it was more than adorable. Noah had never said that to him before. Ed pulled him close and kissed the top of his head while meeting Olivia's eyes. "I love _you_ , Noah," he croaked, trying not to get emotional. Olivia was emotional enough for the two of them. She reached over and rubbed Ed's shoulder as she fought back another round of happy tears. The vacation had been filled with so many heartwarming breakthroughs.

"Let's go back to sleep," Ed whispered to Noah.

"Ok." Noah closed his eyes tightly and burrowed himself snugly against Ed.

Olivia noticed. "Ed, let me—"

He stopped her from peeling Noah away from him. "No, no, he's fine." Tucker reached over, found her hand, and loosely intertwined his fingers with hers.

"This is _so_ not going to become a habit," Olivia muttered before falling back asleep.

Tucker stayed awake for several minutes listening to both Noah and Olivia's breathing get heavier as they fell into deep slumbers.

…..

Sarah catalogued the food situation.

"We need more beer, more wine, and hot dog buns," she reported to Brooke who was writing a shopping list. "Oh, and it looks like…hot dogs if that's what Dad's putting on the grill."

Brooke called out to Tucker who was on the balcony. "Dad, when are you leaving?"

"Tomorrow afternoon," Tucker answered, "We may take two days to get back to the city."

"When do you have to go back to work?"

"Not until Monday."

"Do you mind if I stay a few extra days? I'll just bring your keys to you when I get back."

"Not at all."

Sarah frowned. "Well, aren't you lucky? Summers off. I shoulda been a teacher."

Brooke scoffed, "I work hard enough during the school year, sis."

Sarah shook her head. "I don't know how you do that job. Especially in the South Bronx? Ugh. I would so be an alcoholic. Or a smoker."

Brooke shrugged. "This weekend, I'm both."

Sarah lowered her voice. "Has Dad been smoking?"

"He had a few with me the other night, but I don't think he smokes around Olivia and especially not around Noah."

"Lookit them," Sarah gestured to the balcony. Ed and Olivia were snuggled up on the loveseat facing the water, sipping coffee and whispering to one another. "You think they're gonna get _married_?"

"Didn't they just get together?" Jeff asked in is regular voice.

" _Shhhh_ ," Sarah admonished him.

"They've been, like, _together-together_ , at least since we surprised him in April," Brooke calculated, her voice hushed.

"Well, he better not fuck up," Sarah warned. Like Brooke, she assumed the fact their handsome father had never remarried was somehow due to a deeply embedded and irreversible character flaw.

Brooke nodded in agreement.

"You two sure look on the bright side," Jeff scoffed. "He's your _dad._ Jeez. Give him some credit."

Sarah gave him a playful slap on the shoulder. "Oh, Jeff, we're just having fun. But, seriously, he's too old to be all by himself. So, like I said, he better not fuck up."

"How old is he?"

Sarah looked at Brooke with uncertainty, "Fifty-four?"

"Try Fifty-Six. In September."

Sarah smiled admiringly at her big sister, "How _do_ you keep track of all these things?"

Brooke shot an annoyed look at Sarah and swiped the list from the counter. "Are we ready?"

Sarah and Jeff nodded.

"Dad?"

Neither Olivia nor Tucker scrambled to move away from one another in the presence of Brooke. They remained cuddled on the loveseat, and this heartened Ed's eldest daughter.

"Yeah?"

"We're gonna head to the market and pick up the food and stuff for today. Do you want anything special?"

"I'm doing burgers, brats, and hot dogs. I think we have all that, but everything else is up to you."

Brooke scanned the list. "Ok. We'll get some sides and some snacks for later. We're doing a late lunch-early dinner then snacks during the fireworks right?"

"Yep," Tucker replied, looking over his shoulder at Brooke so he didn't have to release Olivia from his arms.

"Hey, Brooke," Olivia interjected softly, "Will you get another box of Ritz crackers and more grapes?"

Brooke nodded and offered to take Noah along on the shopping trip. Olivia's son noticed the younger adults were preparing to leave, and he stood among them, looking hopeful.

"Sure, you can take him," Olivia said.

"My keys are in the bowl on the island," Tucker said, "You'll have to take my truck, the car seat is in there. Oh, and get my wallet from the dresser and take my Visa."

" _Dad_ …"

" _Take it_ ," Tucker insisted.

Brooke grinned at him. "Love you, Daddy."

"Ok, _Sarah_ ," Ed teased.

Olivia and Ed sat in placid silence for a few minutes. It was still early, and the pool and beach were sparsely populated. The waves gently lapped at the shore, seagulls squawked, and there were a few families at the pool, but their chatter was muted.

Ed felt Olivia take a deep breath.

"I don't want to leave," she sighed ruefully.

"I know." Even though he was having the best time he'd had in years, Ed didn't feel the same way. He couldn't help it; Tucker was a city guy. This long weekend had been fantastic in a number of ways, but the truth was that he was most at home in the concrete jungle. He preferred sirens and blaring car horns to the sounds of the sea. If he stayed too long at the beach he felt like he lost his edge, he was disoriented, and the longer he stayed out of it, the longer it took him to get back into cop mode. He loved Benson. He loved Noah. But he also loved being a cop. Losing just one piece of that triumvirate knocked him into an unfamiliar and unsettling orbit.

Ed started to say something, but Olivia beat him to the punch. "There are no worries here. And, Noah, have you noticed how much he's talking and running around? Swimming so well?"

"He loves it here," Ed agreed, "Hopefully we can use this place a little more now," he was optimistic, although he was certain it would be at least a few months before they returned to the condo.

"You're right about the lessons. I'll look into it when we get home."

 _We_.

Olivia and Ed had both been unintentionally using "we" lately. It was a subtle yet significant shift in usage which Ed did not notice and Olivia acknowledged only when she replayed their conversations in her head (yes, she did this often). Everything on this vacation had been phrased in terms of "we."

 _We were signing Noah up for swimming lessons._

 _We don't mind if you get the wallet from our bedroom._

 _We are planning Noah's third birthday party._

 _We want to see_ _Hamilton._

Ed cleared his throat, "About home…I don't know if this is the right time to bring this up, so stop me if it isn't."

"Ok."

He ejected the words from his mouth as if they'd been bothering him for a long time. "Whaddyou think about us living together?"

Olivia was still reclined against him, so she couldn't see his sly smile as he continued cooly, "I mean, for real, since all my clothes are at your place anyway."

This was true. Tucker's wardrobe had gradually migrated north ten blocks.

Both Olivia and Ed knew this question had been brewing for the past few weeks. Living together was imminent; they had been cohabitating in the de facto sense anyway, so it wasn't like the practice was such a big deal. The acknowledgement held the weight.

It was time to look at each other as they conversed. Olivia sat up and moved so that her back rested on the opposite end of the loveseat. "I'm glad you said something," she admitted a bit coyly, "I wasn't sure how or when to bring it up."

Ed laughed, relieved, "I figured I'd just go for it."

"So we've both been wondering about the same thing."

"Yes."

Olivia smiled at him, "So, maybe…maybe we should just stop holding back and say what's on our minds?"

"Probably," Ed sounded resolute, "I still feel like we dance around some things sometimes."

"So let's not do that anymore."

He nodded in agreement and shot her the Tucker smirk, "Are you trying to change the subject?"

"No," Olivia sounded just as confident, "I think we should try to live together."

Ed shook his head and reached for both her hands. "No. Not 'should' and not 'try'."

Olivia looked at him intently. "Move in with me and Noah."

"Good."

"I mean," Olivia teased, "most of your things are there anyway." She then turned more serious, "What are you going to do with your apartment?"

"I think I'll offer it to Brooke," Ed answered, "I want her out of the Bronx, and if I offer her my place at, say, half the price she'd pay, well…" he trailed off, but his thoughts were not a mystery to Benson.

Olivia wasn't sure if he meant he wanted Brooke to live outside of the Bronx or if he wanted her to get a different teaching job in a safer part of the city or if he simply wanted to keep his place in case he needed it. Whatever the reason, she decided not to pursue an investigation at that moment.

Ed kept talking, "And then, let's think about looking for a bigger place. Same neighborhood? Just another bedroom so Noah can get out of the den. Maybe a three bedroom depending on what's out there?"

Olivia gaped at him in disbelief. Again and again, Tucker simultaneously shocked and thrilled her. She leaned over to kiss him in agreement, but the kiss didn't diminish the incredulity.

 _House hunting with Ed Tucker?_

"You know what will be interesting?" Olivia teased.

"What?"

"Explaining _us_ to Noah when he's older."

Tucker shrugged. "Life lessons…"

"You just never know."

"I always knew," Tucker hissed confidently.

"Liar," Olivia challenged.

"I know now." Tucker reached for her to come back into his arms and she did. Ed could not remember a time when he felt more fulfilled.

…..

Later that afternoon the entire crew parked themselves poolside. Olivia and the girls hung onto Styrofoam noodles and floated aimlessly around the pool which was relatively empty for noon. Sarah, in the middle of Brooke and Olivia, splashed a little to get their attention. "WTF," she muttered.

Ed and Jeff coached Noah from the water as the toddler stood on the concrete, his little toes curling over the curved edge.

"No, put your head down," Ed instructed.

"Point your hands towards the water," Jeff added.

Noah followed directions.

Sarah looked at Olivia. "You do realize Noah is ruined, right? My dad is going to figure out his athletic talent and then relentlessly pursue it."

Olivia just stared over at the boys and replied flatly, "Let's just hope diving isn't his thing."

"Oh no way," Brooke said. "Can you imagine being the mom of one of those Olympic divers?"

"No," Olivia replied, "So I actually hope Noah is horrible at this."

The women watched as Ed put one hand on Noah's belly and the other on his back. He instructed him to jump, and then flipped him so he landed in the water feet first, unassisted but with an artificial boost.

Noah emerged triumphantly and the girls cheered.

"Again!" he shouted.

Jeff plucked him from the water. "No, take five big steps back."

Noah did.

"Ok, now, walk fast to me." Jeff didn't want to say "run," for fear that Olivia would object.

Ed moved closer to the side and held out his arms as an extra safety measure. Noah came towards them, galloping, and jumped.

Jeff flipped him expertly so that he landed exactly as he had before, this time from a greater height.

Olivia was nervous for a second. Noah was submerged for longer. But then he bobbed back up, screamed "AGAIN!" and Jeff obliged. Olivia grabbed her phone to shoot video.

After several more jumps, Tucker realized the intricate timing of the day. "Hey, Liv?"

Olivia was in a lounge chair now, reading a magazine under the umbrella. She looked at Ed.

"Should we get him inside for a nap? I don't want him to miss the fireworks."

Ed was right. The show would start between ten and ten-thirty. Olivia walked over to the pool and took Noah as Ed lifted him out of the water.

Noah burst into tears. "NOOOO! I want Tuck! Jeff! Bwookey!"

Sarah on the lounge next to Olivia and unfazed by the screaming held up her arms, "What about me?" She called to Noah.

"Saaaaawaahhhhh!"

Olivia and Ed exchanged knowing glances. Noah was typically very calm, but he _was_ two-going-on-three. Tantrums were inevitable.

Olivia carried him upstairs.

Tucker, Jeff, and the girls each cracked a beer.

"That little dude is so cool," Jeff remarked after he took a sip.

"He's super fearless," Brooke said.

"Just like his mother," Tucker mused, looking up towards the balcony an admiring look on his face. "Just like his mother."

 **Part II coming very soon! Thought you might like an update…**


	7. Chapter 7

**The Fourth, Part II**

"The Captain wants to know everyone's meat orders." Jeff, who still was not quite sure what to call Ed, interrupted the ladies as they prepped side dishes and set the table. Sarah's boyfriend alternated between the formal "Captain" when not directly addressing Tucker and the slightly less formal "Sir" when speaking to him. Tucker refused to make things easier by simply suggesting Jeff call him "Ed."

Sarah scooped pasta salad from the plastic deli container into a serving bowl. "I want a burger, but tell him not too thick and I want it medium well. Tell him, _medium well_ , he always makes them too pink."

"They're supposed to be pink," Jeff said, "restaurant chefs probably laugh at you when they see your order."

"I could not care less," Sarah sassed.

Jeff poked her shoulder. "You sure got tan this weekend."

"Yes, and it will fade quickly. Back to the stupid office in two days."

Brooke raised her eyebrows, "I thought you liked your job?"

"I do," Sarah replied, "but it gets kinda boring." Sarah tossed the empty plastic box in the recycling bin and put her arm around Olivia's shoulder, "I shoulda been a cop, Olivia. Your job is _so_ exciting."

Olivia and Brooke shared a patronizing smile. _Oh, Sarah._

"It's exciting," Olivia agreed, "But not always in a good way."

"Same with my job," Brooke said.

Sarah's face contorted into a pained expression. "You need a new job. Middle school in Mott Haven? I don't want to even drive by your school let alone _work_ there."

Brooke was insulted but understood Sarah's point. It was the same point most people made when they learned where she worked. _Out of all schools in New York City, why teach there?_ The truth was that Brooke had an inexplicable affinity for the most at-risk kids and she truly felt called to be a positive influence in the drug and gang infested neighborhood.

Olivia admired Brooke for her career choice and had already privately told her so several times. "Brooke," she said, "I think you're heroic. If there were more people like you who cared and made a difference in kids' lives, maybe my job wouldn't have to be so ugly."

Brooke looked genuinely grateful. "It's tough. There are so many things working against those kids, but, if we can save just a few at a time, hopefully it will make a difference down the road."

Jeff, thrown into the conversation unwillingly and with a different purpose, tried to steer the topic back to the meat orders. "Um, Olivia? Brooke? What do you want from the grill?" He asked hesitantly, as if he expected all three of them to tell him to shut up.

"Poor Jeffy," Sarah said, consoling him with a hug. "The Captain assigned him a task and he wants to do a good job, right, sweetie?"

Jeff peered down at Sarah, amused, "You're enjoying this a little too much. Do you like seeing me tortured?"

"I warned you."

Olivia smiled at him and spoke kindly, "Ed likes you, Jeff," she assured, "he can see you're a good guy."

"He sees it with your help, of course," Sarah mentioned.

"Right."

"Ok, Jeff," Brooke said, "I want a hot dog and a brat. Sarah's right, I don't like the way he cooks the burgers."

"You two are weird."

Olivia, siding with Jeff in the ground beef debate, ordered a burger for herself and a hot dog for Noah.

"Yeah, he got that one," Jeff replied, meaning that Tucker already knew what Noah would eat. Mission accomplished, Jeff returned to the balcony which had become the temporary domain for the men. Ed and Jeff hovered over the grill sipping beers and Noah rolled his cars around the tabletop.

"Well, I have bad news for us, Brooke," Sarah said with mock regret, "We have alternated so long being Dad's favorite, and now we must compete with Noah."

"A battle we cannot win," Brooke assessed.

Sarah perched herself on a barstool and looked fixedly at Olivia. "Does Dad, like, babysit Noah and stuff?" She asked, truly intrigued and curious about the extent of her father's relationship with the boy.

Olivia, slightly taken aback, replied, "He does." Sarah silently implored her for more details and Olivia cooperated. "He has fixed hours for the most part, so if I'm held up at work, he'll pick him up from day care or go to my apartment and take over for the babysitter depending on the day. Before we left, he took Noah while I picked up a few things for the trip."

"Omigod." Sarah marveled.

Brooke tugged at Sarah's blonde ponytail. "Why omigod?"

"I just can't believe it. Dad's so _different_."

"Good different," Brooke explained.

"Yes, good different. Of course." Sarah thought about something and scrunched up her face. "Are you, like, living together?"

 _Funny she should ask._

"I think that's in the cards," Olivia replied, not wanting to say anything else without talking to Ed first. So, she changed the subject. "Want to know something interesting? It's almost funny now, but it wasn't then."

The girls both nodded eagerly, crouching around the island and listening intently.

"He arrested me once."

"WHAT?" Sarah shouted, catching the attention of Ed and Jeff who peered questioningly into the condo.

Brooke waved them off and turned back to Olivia. "He _arrested_ you?"

"Omigod, omigod, omigod, like, read you your _rights_ and all that?"

Olivia nodded and proceeded to tell the story of when she was framed for murder largely on account of the fabricated DNA.

" _Fabricated DNA_?"

"What the…"

Benson thought about that day when Tucker had awoken her and then led her out of the precinct by the arm, grasping her with an enemy's coldhearted grip. Fast forward to this morning when Ed protectively enveloped both Olivia and Noah in a coming-out-of-sleep cuddle session. Noah had been smashed between them as Ed kissed her, and his giggle had been electric. "Mommy! Tuck!" He'd shouted, struggling to get the words out because he was laughing so hard.

"How long ago was that?" Brooke asked.

Olivia did a quick mental calculation. "About seven years ago."

"So you must've really hated him," Sarah said.

"Oh, we all hated him," Olivia said breezily.

"All?"

"Yes, he investigated almost every member of my squad."

"Wow."

While Brooke was willing to move on to other topics, Sarah could not let this one go. She continued to question Olivia, obviously fascinated with their history. "So you decided that, after this mean dude arrested you and tried to ruin your friends' lives that you would just… _go out with him_?"

"A lot happened between then and now, and he and I started to see each other differently." A lot. That was the understatement of all time. Between Olivia's arrest and Fourth of July 2016, Olivia, among other trials and tribulations, had lost two partners, seen two trusted confidantes retire, been held hostage twice, and, of course, endured William Lewis' psychological and physical torture. She had also been promoted two times, adopted Noah, and received glowing accolades for her work. "We realized we could trust each other," Olivia reflected, "Then we started meeting for drinks, and then…"

"He just swept you right off your feet!" Sarah put her own neat romantic conclusion on what actually had been a challenging transition from foe to friend.

It was easier for Olivia to agree. Besides, Sarah and Brooke didn't need to know everything.

"Well this is just awesome," Sarah said.

"Absolutely," Brooke said.

"Now we just need to get Dad to treat Jeff like a normal human being and we're all set."

Brooke glanced outside, "They look ok."

"There's still some hostility there."

"Wait until next time we all get together," Brooke suggested. "Dad will probably be normal then."

"And then maybe _you'll_ bring some strange guy home and let me off the hook."

"Hopefully."

"You know who's cute? That detective we saw when we went to see Olivia. Is he single?" Sarah asked Olivia conspiratorially.

"He is."

Brooke looked skeptical. "I don't think I want to date a cop."

"Especially one who Dad knows."

Brooke agreed. Truer words had never been spoken.

…

After dinner the five adults passed the time until dark with cards and Yahtzee. As the sun began to set, they stopped playing and packed for the beach. Noah, fully rested, ran around in circles chanting "fireworks" over and over.

"Daddy, do you want me to bring the folding chairs?" Sarah asked as she surveyed their supplies—cooler, blanket, reusable shopping bag filled with chips, crackers, and plastic wine glasses.

"Sure."

Sarah pulled four chairs, in their plastic sleeves, from the closet. "Jeff, baby, I'll just sit in your lap."

Tucker pretended not to hear. Noticing there was a slight chill in the breeze filtering in from the open door, Tucker plucked Noah's Yankees sweatshirt from a hook in the foyer and wedged it in the back pocket of his cargo shorts. "Liv," he called into the bedroom, "You may want to bring a blanket for Noah."

She was in the bathroom and said something that sounded like "ok."

Brooke noticed the sweatshirt. "You got that for him, right?"

"Of course."

Brooke was happy that her father had someone to spoil with sports gear. He tried to buy fan wear for both Brooke and Sarah when they were growing up, but neither girl wore the items anywhere other than their own bedrooms.

Olivia emerged, hair pulled into a messy ponytail. "Everyone ready?"

The five adults collected everything, Ed perched Noah on one hip and shouldered the shopping bag and two chairs with his other arm.

The beach quickly became crowded. On one side of the Tucker-Benson-Matthews setup was a couple with a sleeping infant. On the other side, were four adults with three kids, one boy was close to Noah's age and the two slowly gravitated towards one another. There weren't many people with their own personal fireworks tonight, the densely populated beach made them too dangerous, but many people lit sparklers. The family asked Ed if it was ok to give one to Noah.

"Sure," Ed responded, "he's held one before."

Olivia looked at him strangely. _He has?_

Ed took the sparkler and handed it to Noah. "I, uh, gave him one yesterday. Don't worry, he knows to hold it away from him." Tucker lit the end, and Noah expertly held his arm out away from his body, super stiff like Tuck had taught him. The sparks illuminated his angelic face, and Olivia pulled out her phone to snap a few pictures.

Sarah snapped to attention. "Pics! You guys, we need a picture of all of us! It's still kinda light. Daddy, ask him to take one of all of us."

They arranged themselves in a semicircle on the blanket. Ed and Olivia were in the center. Brooke sat next to Olivia and Sarah sat on the other side of Tucker. Jeff was next to her. Tucker outstretched his arms so it looked like the entire group, even Jeff, was wrapped in his embrace. Noah was perched on Olivia's leg and she had one arm around his waist, but he leaned back against Tucker, resting his head on his chest.

"Smile!"

They all did.

The photo was snapped using Olivia's phone, and she immediately sent it to everyone.

Tucker examined the picture. "It's a good one."

"Good?" Sarah exclaimed incredulously. "It's gorgeous! Look at us!"

It was gorgeous. Their easy smiles lit up the photograph. Noah had been captured mid-laugh, and even though he was on the far end, Jeff appeared to fit seamlessly with rest of the happy family.

"I'm going to print a copy of that for my desk," Brooke said.

"Me too," said Sarah.

Olivia was on board, "I'm buying a frame as soon as I get home."

Tucker eyed her curiously. "For work?"

"Yes," she confirmed.

"Well, then, get one for me, too."

They gazed at one another lovingly, content another potential hurdle had been navigated with such ease—they were _both_ comfortable and moving along at the same pace.

"Dad? Aren't they doing the radio thing?"

Ed nodded at Sarah, "there's apparently an app that plays music to go along with the show."

"What app?"

"I don't know."

Sarah rolled her eyes and asked the people near them. She downloaded the app and as complete darkness engulfed them and the show started, patriotic music played not only from her phone but from others' as well.

Noah was so excited, he stood up at first, craning his neck upwards and pointing. They were so close to the dock where the pyrotechnics were detonated that the fireworks seemingly exploded on top of them. After a while, he realized the show was better seen flat on his back, and he laid in front of Tucker with his head propped against the Captain's leg.

During a brief intermission, Noah looked over at his mother and asked for a drink. "Juice, mama?"

She handed him his plastic cup and, in that process, felt the chill of his arm. "Noah, are you cold? Let's get your blanket."

Ed produced the sweatshirt. "Here, I brought this."

"Isn't Tuck the best, Noah?" Olivia asked, sliding the sweatshirt over his head.

"The best!" Noah agreed.

Tucker mussed his hair, "Thanks, bud."

"You welcome, Tuck." Noah replied matter-of-factly and sipped his juice casually, not knowing he was an essential part of the air-tight bond his mother and Ed Tucker were forming.

Brooke opened the snacks—cheese, fruit, crackers, chips and salsa—as the second round of fireworks began. The latter half of the show was even more elaborate than the first.

Jeff was impressed. "This is awesome."

"We need to do this every year," Sarah resolved.

Brooke raised her glass, "To new traditions."

They all clinked, or thudded, the plastic glasses and drank.

Ed and Olivia were both on the blanket, side by side and leaning back on their elbows, heads inclined towards the sky. Ed looked at her out of the corner of his eye. She didn't notice, and he was fine with that. Sometimes he liked to stare at her when she didn't realize he was watching. Everything about her was perfect—the curve of her jawline, her lips, her eyes, her toned body, her hair…the stray pieces that had escaped the elastic hair tie now blew aimlessly in the wind. The fireworks illuminated her as if she were on display, and for what had to be the millionth time he felt an overwhelming sense of gratitude for this second chance at love and at family. The fact that this second chance included Benson was a bonus. He had always been open to a new relationship, but with _Olivia_? That had previously seemed out of the realm of possibility.

The time would come when they both would share more of their deepest and darkest secrets, fears, and hopes. They would inevitably have to navigate challenges down the road, but no matter how close they became, Tucker would forever be awestruck by the reality that he and Olivia had not only found each other but were also so deeply in love and unwaveringly committed to what they were building.

Yet, he still harbored some doubts. She was too good for him. Too gorgeous for him. Too big-hearted for him. However, for reasons he couldn't fathom, she loved him. He knew this with certainty. She proved her love for him with every touch, every word, every little glance, every cocked eyebrow, and each time she said the words "I love you."

Olivia Benson loved him.

Astonishing.

He had briefly turned his attention to the sky but then resumed staring at her.

She finally noticed. "What?"

"Nothing."

" _What_?" She insisted.

"Tuck! Look!" Noah shouted, jabbing at the air with his little arms. The sky lit up with the finale and Noah was mesmerized.

Tucker pulled him into his lap. "I know, bud! Neat, huh?"

"Mommy, look!"

"I see it sweet Noah!" Tucker put his arm around her and she sunk into him briefly but then broke away to snap pictures of Noah gaping at the continuous stream of fireworks.

After a minute or so, the show was over and a hush fell over the crowd.

"That was the best show I've seen," Brooke gushed.

"I think it's better than Philly's. That's where I was last year," Sarah said. "And New York's are always good, but, these were really over the top."

"Well, last night, folks," Ed said regretfully, "Do you want to play cards or is everyone ready for bed?"

"Cards!" Noah shouted.

Olivia and Ed looked at each other, predicting doom as far as getting Noah to sleep was concerned.

Sarah noticed their pessimistic expressions and pointed out, "Well, you did make him take a late nap."

The six of them trudged through the sand back to the condo with Noah leading the way.

…..

Later that night after cards and Scrabble, everyone except for Ed and Olivia slept soundly in their respective places. Brooke hadn't bothered to unfold the sofa bed, so she was asleep on the couch. Sarah and Jeff were in the guest room. Noah was passed out in the Papasan. Sarah had begged Olivia not to move him.

"He looks _so sweet_ ," she gushed. Noah, curled up with his Thomas blanket and Bernie, was the epitome of contentedness.

The two cops were now back on the balcony's loveseat.

"Back to reality soon," Olivia said.

"Do you want to drive back in one shot?"

Olivia shrugged. "We can always stop somewhere. We have time."

"Ok, we'll play it by ear."

"Ed?"

"Huh?"

"Earlier tonight."

He knew what she was talking about. "I was just _looking_ at you."

"Mmmhmm."

"You're stunning."

"Thank you."

"No," he objected, "Thank _you_."

"For what?"

"I don't deserve you."

"Yes you do."

"I do?"

Olivia sat up and met his eyes with hers. "Do you even realize how good a man you are?" He stared back her blankly. She responded with a litany of compliments. "You're a great father and I love how you are with the girls and with Noah. You do a difficult job well. You're loyal. I've never met anyone with a keener sense of right and wrong, even if," she teased him a bit, "that sense drove a wedge between us before. You are generous, you'll do anything to make the people you love happy. And," she kissed him, "I have _never_ been happier."

He brought her in for a kiss.

"Let's, um, take this inside before we get the two a.m. Noah invasion," Olivia suggested.

They tiptoed through the living room and fell back into one another's arms behind the closed bedroom doors.

 **Don't you just LOVE #tuckson?**


	8. Chapter 8

**New Beginnings**

Ed flipped through the pages of Camp Apple Seeds' newsletter. Peanut allergy warnings. The upcoming week's themed lessons. Employee-of-the-month profile. Mission statement. An advertisement for the upcoming family day which would feature snacks, drinks, and a musical performance. Four full pages of glossy color photos featuring happy toddlers. Noah was on page two wearing some sort of Egyptian-looking handcrafted mask; even though the costume obscured his face, Ed knew it was him.

Not far away, Noah ran in circles with three other kids. They ran and ran until they became dizzy, collapsed, laughed hilariously, and then started running again.

Eventually he hustled over to Ed and requested a drink. Tucker rummaged around in Noah's backpack and found nothing, so he offered Noah a sip of his ginger ale.

"Don't tell mom."

Noah looked up at Ed conspiratorially and sipped soda through the straw.

Ed's phone vibrated in his pocket. Taking advantage of the distraction, Noah kept drinking.

"Hey Brooke," Ed said. "What's going on?"

There were multiple things going on with Ed's oldest daughter. When she returned from Kill Devil Hills, Ed offered her his apartment and after some deliberation, Brooke accepted. The commute might be inconvenient, but Ed was charging her a pittance in rent. She couldn't refuse the offer.

"Just tell the movers to put whatever furniture you don't want in the guest room. Pile it in there."

Ed and Olivia decided to wait on moving any large pieces until they decided on a timeline for finding a new, bigger place, so Brooke was saddled with extra items until then.

"Can't you just deal with the couch for now?"

Both Brooke and Sarah hated the old brown leather sofa that Ed had owned for at least two decades.

"The light switch in the bedroom needs to be on for the ceiling fan remote to work."

Ed rolled his eyes. _Couldn't she figure this out on her own?_ He felt like he was talking to Sarah instead of his usually resourceful older daughter. While Ed continued talking, Noah meandered his way over to the swings and tried unsuccessfully to hoist himself onto the seat. Ed wedged the phone between his ear and his shoulder and went over to help out.

After a few pushes, rumbles of thunder sounded in the distance, but they were threatening enough to send the park visitors scattering for cover. Storms were predicted for the evening and they apparently were ahead of schedule.

"C'mon, Noah," Ed said as he lifted the boy from the swing and slung him over his shoulder. "Let's go home before we get soaked."

"Funder, Tuck!" Noah alertly looked up and pointed at the sky. "Black clouds! Hurry!"

Ed grabbed the Thomas backpack and headed for home.

…

Ed and Noah found Olivia in the bedroom when they returned. Scattered among her were piles of clothes, mostly blazers and blouses. Living together forced her to finally tackle the continually postponed task of purging her closet of rarely-worn garments and she was having trouble picking and choosing what stayed and what was destined for charity. Music played from her iPad and she sang and danced a bit as she moved around the room.

Ed put Noah down and he ran to Olivia, hugging her legs. "Mama!"

"Hey big guy! I didn't hear you come in!" She picked him up for a hug and a kiss.

Ed surveyed the room, amusement in his eyes. "I thought, uh, you were _organizing_?" After they returned from the beach, Olivia and Ed used their remaining vacation days to move Ed's things and sent Noah to camp for a few hours each day. Today, Ed helped Brooke in the morning then retrieved Noah while Olivia got to work merging his things with hers. Evidently, she ran into a bit of a hiccup.

"I was," she replied sheepishly, "And I was doing such a good job at first with the books and the bathroom and the kitchen."

"Liv, I brought three books, some pictures and coffee mugs, and my shaving kit."

She scowled good-naturedly. "How about you go through these things, and anything you haven't noticed me wearing in the past, say, six months, put in that pile over there." She pointed to a corner of the room where she'd tossed a few definite discards.

"I haven't seen you every day for the past six months."

She bit her lip, hesitant to part with anything. "Ugh. Well, it will just have to be a tight squeeze for a little while. I'll put my heavier things in the front closet."

With Ed's assistance, Noah clambered onto the bed and started jumping. Tucker shadowed, prepared to catch him if he took a tumble.

Olivia already hung his suits and shirts, and they took up less than half the closet space. Every other part of his wardrobe was neatly folded in one of the bottom two dresser drawers. She'd graciously consolidated her two underwear drawers into one, but not easily. Her overstuffed drawer was still open, spilling over with panties. Ed laughed.

"What?"

"Nothing."

She marched over to him and held him by the belt. "Captain, are you making fun of me?"

"Actually, no," Ed kept one protective eye on Noah who was still bouncing. "I think it's funny that our underwear drawers are next to one another."

Olivia got the point. "Yeah, who would've thought, right?"

They had just started kissing when Noah, as Ed had predicted, teetered near the mattress' edge. He pulled away and grabbed him one-handed, saving, at best, ear-piercing screams or at worst, a trip to the emergency room.

Ed flipped Noah upside down, tossed him on the bed, and he and Olivia tickled Noah until he erupted into deep belly laughter.

"It's a good thing Tuck's here, Noah!" Olivia exclaimed. "That could have been bad. He saved you."

"Tuck saved me!" Noah got up and tried jumping again, but Olivia put him on the floor. "Save your energy, Brookey's coming for dinner."

"Brook-ey, Brook-ey, Brook-ey, Brook-ey." Noah chanted, then stopped abruptly and asked, "Sawah?" In his world, Ed's two daughters always had appeared together.

"No, bud, Sarah's in Philly."

"Phil-ly, Phil-ly, Phil-ly."

"I don't think we need to worry about him running out of energy," Ed remarked. "I told Brooke to come over around seven. That still work?"

Olivia nodded. "What are we ordering?"

"I thought maybe I would make tacos. How does that sound?"

"Great! Do I need to go to the market?"

"Noah and I stopped on the way home."

"Well aren't you just the best two men in the world." She grabbed his waist again and pulled him close.

With Noah safely on the ground, Ed and Olivia could devote their full attention to another kiss. She loved the way he kissed her. So passionate. Like it was both the first and last meeting of their mouths.

Olivia pouted a little when he drew himself away.

"I have to start dinner," he explained and kissed her once more.

"I'll finish up in here," she said and kissed him back.

Banned from the bed, Noah found the iPad and expertly navigated to his games. The bloopity-bloop sound effects added to the pleasant chaos.

"No, you want to bring that out here with me?" Ed asked him, hoping the answer was yes.

Noah happily followed Ed into the kitchen.

Olivia turned on her heels, did a complete 360, and began rehanging her clothing, wedging the items tightly together. Storage problems, though, did not diminish her joy. With Ed here, her home was now complete.

…..

Brooke arrived thirty minutes late but with cupcakes, so as far as Olivia and Noah were concerned, she was forgiven.

"You live in the Bronx for three years and you're not late once. Now you're ten blocks away and you're late?" Ed observed incredulously.

"Sorry dad," she placed the cupcake container across the island and gave Ed a peck on the cheek. "I got carried away unpacking and lost track of time. Won't happen again, _sir_."

Ed grinned. It was impossible for him to be irritated with Brooke for very long. Sarah? Different story. He was sure his youngest daughter intentionally made boneheaded decisions solely to nettle him.

"Where's Olivia?"

"She's in the bedroom."

On cue, Olivia emerged with two fistfuls of hangers holding winter blazers and long-sleeved blouses. "Hi Brooke!" She said brightly. "I'm just about done in there."

Brooke glanced curiously at Ed who shrugged. Olivia returned from the front closet and took a seat on a bar stool, prepared for friendly ribbing.

"I know, I know, I have an overabundance of clothing. I can't help it."

"Have you donated anything?" Brooke asked. "We have one of those big bins at our school."

"I have a bag ready to go."

Ed snickered, "There are, what, four or five things in there?"

"Eight," Olivia corrected impassively, "And one sweater was a gift I've never worn."

With mock alarm, Brooke asked, "When's your birthday?"

"December."

"Ok, good, I have some time to think. I don't want any gift from _me_ in the dump pile."

Olivia chuckled, "Nonsense. You have fabulous taste. Anyway, enough about me and my unhealthy attachment to clothes. Are you getting settled in?"

Brooke was enthusiastic. "Yep! The moving guys were really nice and shoved all of that stuff in the bedroom. I'm keeping the ugly Big Brown for now," she gave her father the side-eye, "but I'm feeling good being back in Manhattan."

"How long will the commute be when school starts again?"

"About an hour, maybe a little less. But since my sweet daddy is so generous, I should be able to save a bunch for a down payment."

Ed rolled a tomato and an onion to Brooke. "Will you chop these for your sweet daddy?" He turned to stir the meat and mumbled, "You know, there are schools _here_ in the neighborhood."

 _Not again._

"Dad, I'm staying at my school for now."

"Ok," he conceded, not wanting to argue but holding out hope the commute would wear on her and she'd look around for a job _anywhere_ but the South Bronx.

Time for a subject change. "Dad, do you want me to paint the walls? I took down some of your pictures to put my things up and you can tell the sun has faded some of the paint. Especially in the living room."

" _You_ want to paint the walls, or do you want me to hire someone to paint them?"

"Preferably hire. But I can do it, too. But, then again, I won't be upset if you happen to hire someone."

That reminded Olivia of how few decorative-type items Ed brought. She arranged his framed photos among hers, but the apartment's ambience still was ninety-nine percent Olivia and Noah. "Ed, why don't you bring some of your wall art over here?" She suggested.

It really wasn't all that important to him. "Which ones?"

"Those old New York maps are nice. And that giant Galway print? I love that."

"Ok," he agreed, "if you insist."

Olivia gazed at him. "I do," she replied sweetly.

Brooke observed the subtle flirtation with her customary nonchalance, but she had to stifle a giggle when she thought about how Sarah would have responded. Her little sister regressed to her gossipy, giddy teenage self when she witnessed Ed and Olivia PDA.

"Bwookey?"

Brooke's initial arrival hadn't been exciting enough for Noah to abandon the iPad and his comfy beanbag, but the adults' conversation drew him to the kitchen. Brooke pushed the knife and cutting board aside and sat Noah on the island. "Hi, No! I thought you were ignoring me!"

It didn't take long for him to notice the cupcakes and he reached for the box.

"Noah," Olivia warned, "We'll have a cupcake after tacos."

"Tuck making tacos?"

"Yeah, bud," Ed responded.

"Tuck tacos! I like Tuck tacos! Bwookey, you eat tacos?"

Brooke nodded. "I _love_ Tuck's tacos. Yummy!"

Olivia beamed at him, "He's been talking a lot since he's been going to camp."

That reminded Ed of the newsletter. "There's a family day thing next week. A musical or play, or something like that," he said, "the info is in his bag."

Olivia liked that Ed knew more about camp goings-on than she did. She found the newsletter, admired the photos with Brooke, and then saw the family day advertisement. "A musical performance, drinks, snacks, and an informal meet-and-greet," she read. "Next Friday. I'll make sure the squad is covered so I can go."

"What time does it start?" Ed asked.

"Ten and ends at twelve-thirty."

"Is the meet-and-greet first or last?"

"It doesn't say."

"I'll just go in late. Hopefully it's last." A meet-and-greet with Upper West Side moms and dads did not thrill him, and he didn't think it would be particularly appealing to Olivia either.

Olivia invited Brooke to join them. "Do you want to spend one of your half days off at Camp Apple Seeds?" She asked.

"I wouldn't miss it for the world!" Brooke responded eagerly, "And, if you want, I can just take Noah for the rest of the afternoon if you have to work." She addressed Noah, "What are you going to sing, No?"

"Circus song."

Clueless expressions all around.

"It will be a surprise, then," Brooke concluded.

Noah wasn't finished, "twinkle, twinkle," he added, reaching over to twirl a strand of Brooke's bobbed blonde hair.

"Oh, I know that one!"

"Fwog song."

"Frog song?"

Noah bounced up and down, "Ribbit! Ribbit!"

"Sounds like a good show."

Ed turned off the burners and transferred the meat and rice to serving bowls. "It's ready."

Olivia jumped up and quickly cleared the table. Brooke transferred Noah to the high chair. Ed had already prepared his plate and he began eating happily, carefully using a plastic Thomas spoon to scoop the rice into his mouth.

"What do you have going on this weekend?" Ed asked Brooke as they munched on the tacos.

"Actually," Brooke said slowly, "I'm having drinks with Luke O'Neal. Remember him? We went to high school together and he joined the Marines right after? He just got discharged."

Ed raised his eyebrows.

"And he's starting classes at Hudson in the fall." Brooke added. "In criminal justice." _Come on, Dad. Lighten up. A Marine? Future cop? Irish?_

Ed remained unimpressed.

Olivia lightened the mood, "Sounds nice to be reunited with an old friend. Where are you going?"

"We're going to hit golf balls at Chelsea Piers and then I don't know, he mentioned a couple of places, but we'll play it by ear."

 _So it was a date._

Ed pictured his daughter at the driving range and smirked. " _You're_ going to hit golf balls? Have you ever _played_ golf before?"

Brooke, glad he loosened up so quickly, shrugged off Ed's good-natured teasing. "I have not, but, as I understand it, there are nets and things to protect others from my lack of skill."

"I can't wait to hear all about it," Ed said dryly.

"I'll call you right after." Brooke was equally sarcastic but her Tucker-blue eyes were filled with only adoration for her grumpy but lovable father.

Olivia, entertained, sat back in her chair, eyes darting back and forth from Brooke to Ed. Between them, Noah, oblivious to the banter, moved on from the rice to a toddler-sized taco. He ate almost daintily, picking up stray pieces of cheese and ground beef and placing them back in the soft tortilla before each bite. Olivia wondered if he was trying to be extra good in order to ensure he would actually get his hands on one of the cupcakes.

When dessert time finally rolled around, Noah abandoned the manners he'd displayed only a few minutes earlier and tore into the chocolate cupcake Brooke placed in front of him. His face and hands became covered in crumbs and frosting, and the treat disappeared quickly. Olivia tossed Ed a washcloth, and he made a dramatic show of wiping Noah's face, taking the rag away and then burying his face in it. Noah squealed.

"You're a chocolate mess, bud!"

"More cupcake!"

"I don't think so," Olivia said. "We'll have another one tomorrow night."

The three of them cleaned up and then played a game of Scrabble. Brooke left around ten o'clock but not before agreeing to text Ed when she got home.

Olivia put away the game and switched off the lamp and the kitchen lights while Ed put Noah in bed. He'd fallen asleep in his beanbag watching a movie which Olivia didn't like for him to do, but she often made exceptions when company was over.

Ed nuzzled Olivia's neck when he returned. "Dare I go in the bedroom?"

She slapped his back playfully, "Go ahead. You just can't sit in the chair or easily slide the hangers around."

"The bed's free though?"

She cocked an eyebrow, "I made _sure_ it was clear."

Ed took her hand and led her to their cluttered bedroom.

"Maybe _I_ should just get rid of some things," He joked.

"Don't be silly," Olivia said, "We'll get a bigger place soon."

It was so nice to hear her talk like this, and Ed could deal with the cramped space as long as he was sharing it with Olivia. He would have voiced this to her, but her lips were already on his neck, so he decided it could wait until later.


	9. Chapter 9

**Family.**

Olivia arrived at Camp Apple Seeds at exactly ten o'clock. The squad caught a rape case around eleven the previous night, and they had been working through the early morning hours to nab the perp. Olivia offered to call Lucy, but Ed refused.

 _I'm going in late anyway_ , he had texted her. _I got it._

The multipurpose room was more crowded than she expected, and she scanned the rows, looking for Ed and Brooke who were saving her a seat. Upon seeing her badge people looked at her suspiciously and got out of the way, but that didn't help locate the Tuckers. She sent Brooke a text.

 _I'm here. Where are you?_

She responded instantly. _Look at the flag. We're about two rows back._

Brooke waved her arm and Olivia noticed. It was hot, and she immediately felt bad for Noah because she had left long pants and a polo for him to wear. When she picked him up from camp, the air conditioning was always blasting. Before sitting down, she removed her blazer and draped it over the back of the folding chair.

Ed sized her up. There was no way anyone could tell she had been up all night. Her makeup was flawless, there were no dark circles under her eyes, and her hair…did she have a stylist stashed at SVU? Nevertheless, he asked, "You ok?"

"Yes," She sighed, "Running on caffeine and adrenaline now. After this I'm sure I'll crash."

"You get him?"

"We did. Rollins and Fin caught the collar an hour ago. Carisi is holding down the fort with Dodds now. I'm gonna need some sleep after this."

Brooke patted her arm, "I've got Noah, so you can go home and rest."

Olivia looked at her appreciatively, "Thank you."

The campers marched towards the risers in a single file line, tallest to shortest. Noah, who, according to the pediatrician was of average height, was appropriately in the middle. Olivia spotted him immediately.

"Oh good," she squeezed Ed's hand, "You put him in shorts."

"Yeah, I made a judgment call there."

She wanted to kiss him but settled for a flirty glance. Tucker caught it and linked his arm with hers, intentionally brushing her thigh.

Brooke perused the program. "Noah was right," she reported, amazed. We have the Circus Song, then Twinkle Twinkle, then the Frog Song."

Olivia looked over at the order of events. "Then the finale. I wonder what that's all about?"

The pianist began and children's voices rang out, engulfing the room.

"We shall see," Ed said.

…..

Even though Ed planned to avoid the meet-and-greet, he stayed long enough to find Noah and congratulate him on his performance. The toddlers paraded into a small courtyard where they were met by their families. Noah rushed over to Ed, Olivia, and Brooke. From his experience, Ed knew children went through phases where they preferred one parent, or person, more than others. Currently, Noah was blatantly partial to Ed, and the boy made a beeline for Tucker as soon as he emerged from the auditorium.

"Tuck!" Noah exclaimed.

"Hey, bud! You were great! Good singing!"

"You hear fwog song?"

"We heard it."

"Twinkle twinkle?"

"Yup."

"Mommy? Twinkle twinkle?"

Olivia kissed his cheek. "I heard it. So good, Noah, you and your teachers worked really hard."

Brooke brought over three cups of dark red punch. "Here are the free drinks. Anyone have a flask?"

Ed glared at her.

"Lieutenant Benson?"

Olivia turned. The voice belonged to a smiling woman clad in yoga clothing. Perched on her hip was a boy Noah's age.

"Hello," Olivia said.

"I'm Jennifer Savage," She swiveled her hips so her toddler nearly crashed into Olivia. "This is Spencer. He and Noah are in the same class."

"Oh…nice to meet you."

Noah was still gripping Ed's neck tightly. Tucker was trapped.

Olivia introduced Ed, "This is Captain Tucker." Yoga mom eyed his badge and remarked brightly, "Well, I feel incredibly safe sending Spence for a play date at your house!"

Ed glanced at Olivia uncomfortably and shifted Noah to the other hip. Brooke amusedly looked on.

"Noah," Olivia addressed her son sweetly, "Tuck has to go to work and Brookey is going to take you to lunch." Ed smiled at her appreciatively. Hanging out with yoga moms and yuppie dads wasn't exactly his thing. Olivia didn't particularly enjoy in mom-to-mom banter, but she could fake it for a while. Maybe it was the police officer's investigative mentality; neither of them were very good at or put much value in small talk.

Noah looked at Ed dejectedly. "Tuck work?"

"Yeah, bud, get the bad guys, remember?"

"Tuck get bad guys! Tuck police!"

"Let's go get your bag so you and Brookey can go eat." Tucker put Noah down and he took Ed's hand, leading him to his cubby.

Olivia turned back to Jennifer and belatedly introduced Brooke. "This is Captain Tucker's daughter."

"Nice to meet you," Jennifer said.

"Nice to meet you, too. Great program," Brooke commented, "It must have been hard for them to get all the kids on the same page."

Jennifer nodded enthusiastically, "I know, _right_? But it was _sooo cuuute_." She gushed. Olivia and Brooke glanced at one another trying to hide their distaste for the other woman's perkiness.

Her son fidgeted, she put him down, and he ran off. "I guess we're going…Lieutenant Benson, let's get the boys together sometime soon!"

Olivia smiled. "Ok. Good meeting you." She called.

Brooke took a drink of the punch and frowned. "This is disgusting." She looked around for a trash can.

Ed and Noah returned with the Thomas backpack.

"We ready?" Ed asked hopefully. "These people act like they've never seen a cop before." His eyes darted suspiciously around the room.

"At kiddie camp? They probably haven't," Brooke surmised, "And Noah brought _two_ cops!" She reached down for Noah's hand, "Let's go get pizza!"

"Pizza!" Noah shouted.

On the street, Ed offered to drive Brooke and Noah to the restaurant but it wasn't necessary.

"I'm going to take him to T & R, it's just a couple blocks," she explained.

"Ok, you kids have fun," Ed said. He grabbed Olivia's elbow, "Go get some sleep," he told her, concern on his face.

She yawned. "I will. See you later."

….

After Brooke and Noah ate lunch, she took him to the playground and then to her apartment so Olivia could get as much rest as possible. Noah took a short nap on the old brown couch and Brooke watched late afternoon reruns and texted back and forth with Sarah who had skipped out of work early. When Noah woke up, Sarah gave him some colored pencils and paper and he scribbled away happily. It was a few minutes after six when a text from Tucker appeared.

 _Are you bringing our kid back any time soon?_

Instead of answering right away, she took a screenshot and sent it to Sarah with the words _NOTICE ANYTHING?_

Sarah sent back an emoji-filled message with several _OMGs_ and _OUR kid?_

 _They are so getting married._ Brooke typed.

Sarah sent back more emojis and the instruction that she was going to Face Time Brooke later when she was with Ed and Olivia.

 _Don't say that I sent you that!_ Brooke warned.

Sarah just responded with a bunch of hearts.

"C'mon, Noah. Let's get you home before the police are sent to find you."

"Tuck police!"

"I know, I know. Tuck police. Your mom is too, by the way."

…

They had just finished eating when Sarah's Face Time call came through. Brooke slid the nearly-empty Chinese take-out cartons aside and propped her phone on the coffee table facing the couch, and the four of them squished together.

"Hi Sawah!" Noah shouted.

"Hi Noah! Jeff's here, too!"

"Hi Jeff!"

"What are you guys doing?" Sarah asked.

"Just finished dinner," Olivia answered.

"What are you up to?" Ed asked.

"Drinking champagne." Sarah held up a flute, "Cheers!"

Brooke screwed up her face. "Champagne?"

"Because," Sarah had trouble containing her enthusiasm, "We're CELEBRATING!" She thrust her left hand in the frame revealing a dazzling diamond engagement ring.

Brooke and Olivia broke out into broad smiles.

"Oh my God!"

"Fantastic!"

"Congratulations!"

"The ring's gorgeous!"

Ed, on the other hand, stared into the screen wistfully. His baby girl was getting married, and he wasn't sure how to feel at the moment.

"He asked me this morning. The box was just sitting on top of my phone, so when I went to hit snooze I grabbed it!"

In the background, Jeff grinned proudly. He'd cut his hair since the beach and, clean shaven, looked more like a young professional than the hippie he resembled at the beach.

Olivia tried to nudge Ed without anyone noticing.

 _Say something._

He took the hint. "That's great Sare, Jeff, really great. Welcome to the family, bud."

Olivia squeezed his hand. _There you go, baby, good job._ The corners of his mouth even turned up a tiny bit.

"When's the wedding?" Brooke asked.

Sarah waved her hands dismissively, "Oh who _knows_. Maybe tomorrow. Maybe next year. We have to think about it. _Plan_. Which, of course, you know I'm terrible at."

"Let us know if you need help," Olivia offered. She felt Ed's eyes on her.

 _Yes, I said "us."_

"Well, our first fight as an engaged couple is going to be about location for sure. I want New York, but Jeff wants it here, so…we shall see! Maybe we'll have two!"

Ed breathed deeply. Sarah's erratic nature had always irked him. How did she get that way? Neither he nor his ex-wife were so unpredictable.

"And, sis, you know you're my maid-of-honor. And Noah is ring bearer. So he'll need a little tux. You're gonna look so cuuuute, Noah!" Sarah blew him a kiss and he blew one back. She held her hands to her heart and closed her eyes. "Jeff, take lessons from that boy."

The husband-to-be, nodded dutifully.

"Ok, well, we're gonna go out for dinner so I can show off my ring to more people. Love you guys!" Sarah blew more kisses, Jeff waved, and the screen went black.

"Well, I'm happy for her," Olivia stated in order to sway Ed more than anything else.

Brooke frowned at her phone. "It seems weird that Mom hasn't texted me. I wonder if she told her yet." She addressed Olivia, "Sarah and my mom don't exactly get along all the time."

"That's tough," Olivia replied.

Ed was silent. He had no interest in talking about his ex-wife in the presence of the person who could potentially become his second, and final, wife.

Brooke noticed Ed's reticence and changed the subject, "This wedding is going to be _so_ over the top. Aren't you just _so excited_ Dad?"

"You say 'over the top' and I hear 'expensive'."

Brooke and Olivia shared a knowing, sisterly glance. Brooke enveloped her dad in a bear hug and Noah, sitting in Ed's lap, tried his best to join in.

"Does this mean I'm your favorite now, Dad? I promise not to get married for at least two or three years."

Ed, unblinking, replied, "I'm sorry to break it to you, but Noah's my favorite."

…

For the rest of the evening, Ed remained sullen, so Olivia was surprised when she kissed him goodnight and rolled over to settle in for sleep only to feel his hands urging her back towards him. She complied and faced his downcast eyes.

"Are you sad?"

"No, I want you."

"I don't think you answered the question."

"I really am happy for her." Was he? Or was he trying to convince himself?

"I am too, we should be, but I know it's a big step."

"I'll get used to it." Ed stroked her hair. "Then it will be Brooke's turn."

Sympathetically, Olivia replied, "You're not losing them, Ed. They adore you. You know that, right?"

"Yeah, well, on a related note, I also didn't like Brooke bringing up their mother around you."

"Why? I _know_ you were married before."

"It's just uncomfortable. And I hope it's a big wedding so I can avoid her and she can avoid Sarah."

"She'll be the _bride_. There will have to be some interaction."

"But it will be formal."

"Why don't they get along?"

"You know Sarah. Free spirit. Does what she wants to do without thinking sometimes. Her personality doesn't line up with her mom's."

"I don't think it lines up with yours, either."

"Yeah, but, I'm the _dad_. And, to be honest, I was on the job so much, I never had to do much of the ugly parenting stuff until they were older. By that time, they kind of _got it._ They knew when they screwed up. When a kid is twelve or thirteen it's different."

"I get it." Olivia tried to brighten the mood. "That was a cute way he proposed. Leaving the ring on her phone."

"Yeah…uh…do you think about that? With us?"

Now it was Olivia's turn to be uncomfortable. "We just moved in together," she said, avoiding the question. The truth was, she _had_ thought about it but mostly early on in the relationship when she was trying to figure out where they were headed as a couple. Lately, things were going so well she was enjoying living in the moment.

"I know, but, it's a possibility, right? At the right time?"

"Yes," she murmured. "At the right time."

"No pressure." He sensed her unease.

"No pressure," she repeated.

"Now," he slid his hand under her shirt, "For what I meant to do before we started all this talking…" He broke into his familiar smirk and the dejection faded from his eyes. This unprecedented serenity always trumped any negative emotions that happened to swirl in his mind.

"Captain Tucker, you're staring at me again."

"It can't be helped."

"Let me help you."

She kissed him, lightly and innocently at first, but then opened her mouth wide, inviting him in, and they began making love.

There wasn't much time for Ed to think about anything other than Olivia as they maneuvered their bodies against one another, but one minute detail did cross Ed's mind. When they moved in together he wondered whether or not living together would send them into a boring, predictable status quo, particularly in their sex life.

 _I don't need to worry about that_ , he thought as Benson attended to him with her mouth and her hands, making him almost dizzy with pleasure.

He gasped.

They may be getting old, but they were anything but boring.


	10. Chapter 10

**The Engagement Party, Part I**

As usual, Ed awoke early, made coffee, and brought his mug back to the bedroom where he paged through the _New York Times_. He could have used the iPad, but Ed preferred hard copies of newspapers, magazines, and books. One of the first address changes he made was to his _Times_ home delivery account. Before he settled back in to bed he opened the blinds just enough to let in a stream of daylight so he could avoid turning on a lamp. He opened the iPad and the baby monitor app just to check on Noah, and the boy was still asleep, splayed on his mattress, covers kicked off, and Bernie at his side.

After he finished the metro section, he grew impatient and started to move around and rustle the paper, trying to rouse Olivia. She stirred, her eyelids fluttered, and her lips moved. But that was it, she buried her face in her pillow and became still.

Ed groaned. He appreciated that she slept so well with him by her side, but at times like this, when he _needed_ her to wake up, the bubble of security he provided was decidedly inconvenient.

Momentarily deterred, he moved on to the sports section and sipped coffee. Soon, he was joined by Noah who woke up around his normal 7:30 time and wandered sleepily into the bedroom dragging his Thomas blanket behind him. Ed smiled and held his arms out for Noah who circled around to Tucker's side of the bed. Wordlessly, Noah snuggled up at Ed's side and stared at the newspaper.

Olivia finally drifted into consciousness just as Ed finished the sports section and tossed it on the nightstand. She turned and opened her eyes. Noah's face was inches from hers.

"G'morning mommy!" He greeted her brightly.

"Hi baby," she half-whispered and reached out for Tucker, "Hey, you."

"Hey. You were snoring."

"I was not!"  
"Mommy snoring!" Noah shouted.

Olivia stretched. "I'm outnumbered. Ok, I was snoring." Yawn. Another stretch. Then, she rolled over and draped her arm over Ed and Noah, pretending to go back to sleep.

Noah patted her head. "Wake up, mommy! Tuck, pa'cakes!"

"No," Ed said, "We're gonna do pancakes tomorrow, bud. We have Sarah's party today."

"And mommy and Brookey have to go set up this morning," Olivia was still face-down so her voice was muffled. "And mommy's very tired because Tuck made her stay up late."

"Noah stay up late, too."

"Tonight you will," Ed told him.

"Stay up late! Say up late! Watch movies! Stay up late!"

Olivia sat up and checked her phone. Sure enough, there was a text from Brooke.

"We're meeting in an hour. I have to get up."

Ed asked about his ex-wife. "Angela's not going to be there, is she?"

"I really don't think Brooke would ask me _and_ your ex to help decorate," Olivia replied, "I didn't think she wanted anything to do with the planning?"

"She didn't. Brooke's the one who insisted I throw them an engagement party, which I'm still kinda unclear about. What is the purpose of this exactly? It sounds like the reception. Which I'm also probably paying for."

Brooke's idea for the engagement party was to make sure there was at least one family gathering in New York since she was certain Sarah was going to cave and agree to have the wedding in Philadelphia. Also, it would be nice for their New York-based friends to meet Jeff and see Sarah again before the big day. The guest list already numbered in the three-hundred range, and the engagement party would be more intimate. Olivia thought it was a bit odd that Brooke enlisted her help rather than her mother's, but Ed's older daughter claimed her mother wasn't into these types of things. She lived in Connecticut anyway, so it was just easier for the two of them to organize the party. Tucker provided the credit card.

Olivia patiently explained, as she had several times before, the purpose of the party, but Ed still scowled.

"If Angela doesn't want to help out, why did Brooke even send her an invitation?"

"She's Sarah's _mother_."

"This is going to be uncomfortable. At best," he muttered.

"It's mostly your family and Sarah's friends," Olivia pointed out, "And kids will be there, so it won't be so stuffy and formal."

Speaking of kids, Noah had somehow snaked his way above them and perched himself on the pile of pillows. Ed and Olivia simultaneously looked up at him, he grinned back, and babbled an innocent, "hi guys!"

"Hey, Noah," Ed said, "let's give mommy the box."

 _Box_? Olivia looked at Ed nervously. Noah had been so glued to Ed lately and, due to her work schedule and planning with Brooke, the two of them had been spending a lot of time alone together. Obviously they'd been up to more than playgrounds and junk food.

"It's not what you think," He assured her, "just something for you to wear today."

Noah let himself tumble down and he ran out of the room.

"We hid it under his bed," Ed explained.

Olivia just gazed at him in disbelief.

Noah quickly returned with the box. "Here mommy. It's a bwacelet."

They laughed. Sure enough, it was a bracelet. A David Yurman gold and silver cuff with a coral stone in the center.

"I thought it would look great with the dress you bought for today."

"It will," she said softly, sliding it on her wrist. "Thank you." She kissed Ed and then Noah. "You guys are so good to me!"

"Love you, mommy!"

"Love _you_ , sweet boy!" Olivia kissed Ed one more time, "And I love you, Tucker."

He grinned at her. "I hope you'll still love me after tonight."

"Are you planning to behave badly?"

"No, but being around my crazy Irish relatives may spook you."

"I've met your mother. She seemed normal."

'That's the thing. It was just _her_. Get them all together?" Ed shook his head.

About a month ago, Ed's mother insisted he, Olivia, and Noah come to her house in Riverdale for Sunday dinner. They accepted the invitation, and Caroline Tucker immediately took a liking to Olivia and, especially, Noah. _One more person to spoil him_ , Olivia remembered thinking.

"So, this bracelet," she dangled her wrist in front of him, "is this, like, insurance?"

"Yes, and this," he took her face in both his hands and kissed her briefly but passionately.

She laughed. "You don't have anything to worry about. Now, I have to go. Soon. You're good with him?"

"Liv, stop asking me that."

"Ok, ok. I know. Sorry." She hugged Noah and gently tossed him back on the bed. "You be good. I don't think I'll be gone long."

Olivia quickly readied herself, put on shorts and a t-shirt, and left.

Tucker and Noah were still lounging on the bed.

"Pa'cakes, Tuck?" Noah asked sweetly with hopeful eyes.

Tucker gave in. "Ok, bud. We'll get pancakes today. We have time. Let's get dressed."

"Tuck, you bring the badge?"

Ed smiled affectionately at him, "Yeah, sure. I'll bring the badge." Tucker made a mental note to procure a replica for Noah in time for his birthday. The boy was _obsessed_ with his shield.

….

Brooke and Olivia sat at a wide table arranging wildflowers in small crystal vases. The rooftop lounge's view was décor in itself, so Brooke didn't bother with elaborate ornamentation. They had already cleared places for the deejay and the caterer, hung a "Congratulations, Sarah and Jeff" banner, and after a floral arrangement was on each table, they would be done. Brooke ordered balloon bouquets, but she would pick those up later.

"This will be nice," Brooke said, "casual, no sit-down dinner or anything. But I hope Dad will at least give a toast."

"I've been prepping him," Olivia assured her.

Brooke was grateful. "Thank you. And thank you for helping me plan. Hopefully Sarah will be more involved in the actual wedding and reception. Or Jeff's family."

"It's been fun," Olivia replied. It actually _had_ been fun scouting event spaces, vetting caterers, and discussing color schemes with Brooke. Olivia appreciated the break in her regular routine and it gave the two of them a chance to bond further.

"And I hope it won't be too weird for you tonight, with my mom here."

"Honestly, I think your Dad is more concerned about your mom than I am."

Brooke ran her fingers through her blonde hair and sighed. Consternation appeared on her face. "He's probably nervous there will be an ugly argument."

Olivia sensed there was something more to Ed's explanation of the tension between Sarah and her mother, but she had avoided pressing for details until now. "Why?" Olivia asked softly.

Brooke held nothing back. "My mom and Sarah have never been close, and part of it is just the way Sarah is. You know, she's nuts." Thinking of her sister, Brooke smiled affectionately. "But right after the divorce, things got really bad." Brooke's eyes widened and she became more serious than Olivia had ever seen her, "I think Dad told you, she moved us to Long Island so she could be closer to where she was taking classes?"

"He told me."

"First of all, we didn't want to go. We had to change schools, leave our friends, and, now that I'm older and I have the job I have, I know we were at the worst possible age for that type of transition. I was almost fourteen and Sarah was twelve."

"That must have been hard, _and_ your parents were splitting up."

" _Right_?" Brooke shook her head as if, to this very day, she couldn't fathom why her mother chose to uproot their lives so drastically in the midst of a crisis. "We begged to live with Dad, and she would always tell us we couldn't because he was a cop and never around. But, _she_ was never around either. She worked during the day and went to school at night. Sarah and I took the train to Manhattan every weekend to stay with Dad."

Olivia pictured the two unhappy adolescent girls, riding the train alone, forlornly staring out at the Long Island scenery, and she wanted to cry.

Brooke noticed. "It's ok. Silver linings. Sarah and I got so close; we were partners in crime."

"I love how you're so tight with her."

Brooke grinned. "I do love her. Crazy as she is." She looked around curiously, got up, and made her way to the bar where she plucked out a small bottle of chardonnay from the ice. She poured the wine into two plastic cups, placed one in front of Olivia, and continued the story.

"Anyway, we found out that Dad's IAB job wasn't like the hostage team. He had regular hours most of the time, so she hadn't been totally honest with us. But then, after she got her degree we moved back to Manhattan, so we dropped it. The other thing was that she got remarried quickly. _Too quickly_."

Brooke's expression betrayed her lingering disappointment with her mother. Her downcast eyes resembled Ed's when he was upset. Olivia wanted to hug her, but Brooke persisted. "She and Dad weren't divorced for a year before she was remarried and pregnant."

Olivia raised her eyebrows.

Brooke forced a tight-lipped smile. "Yes, we have a half brother. He's twelve. Sarah and I did the math. We don't think she just jumped into this new family. We think she was just waiting an _appropriate_ amount of time to move forward with it. We're convinced she was having an affair way before they got divorced," Brooke spat out the conclusion as if the words were sour.

"Have you ever…talked to her about it?"

Brooke creased her forehead. After more than a decade, the whole thing still pained her. "Sarah's been in some nasty arguments with her over the years and used it as a weapon. Like, when Sarah would get in trouble for staying out all night, she'd say something like 'at least I'm telling you where I am and not lying about it.' It was subtle, but Sarah knew what she was doing and mom knew what she meant. I think my mom's afraid of her, maybe of me, too, but Sarah will call her out. She knows I won't."

Olivia was near tears, and she was impressed that Brooke maintained such a calm, steely demeanor. "How much of this have you told your Dad?"

Brooke poured herself more wine. "He obviously knows we aren't close with her. I'll never tell him that we think she had an affair; it doesn't matter now. Maybe he knew. At any rate, he became the main parent in our lives and has been ever since. So…if tonight's awkward for anyone, I hope it's for my mom and not us." Brooke sounded a tad vindictive.

Olivia turned her attention back to the flowers. They still had a dozen or so more vases to fill. "Let's all focus on having a good time tonight," she suggested, trying to be a pillar of wisdom. "It will be good, you'll see."

The heavy part of their conversation behind them, Brooke joked, "I _cannot wait_ to hear Dad's toast."

Brooke and Olivia leaned into one another and giggled like schoolgirls as they thought about how reluctantly Ed carried the label of father-of-the-bride.

…..

"Noah, hold still." Olivia adjusted his navy bow tie, held him at arm's length, and smiled proudly. "Adorable."

Ed had taken his white dress shirt to be dry-cleaned, and its starchy crispness coupled with the tie made Noah look older. Olivia tucked the shirt under his blue and green plaid shorts, buckled his belt, and tightened the laces on his Sperrys.

"Stay right there. Mommy needs some pictures." Olivia found her Nikon and snapped away.

"Liv, I'm not wearing a tie." Ed appeared, clad in a cobalt blue oxford and light tan pants. The shirt made his eyes ultra-prominent. He didn't need a tie, and Olivia told him so. There was one part of his outfit, though, which raised an objection.

"I don't think you need the gun."

Ed glanced down at his holstered Glock. "I _always_ take it."

She looked at him doubtfully, "No you don't."

"I feel better with it."

She walked over to him and gently removed the holster, "We're not arriving armed. That would set the wrong tone for the evening." She gave his belt a flirtatious tug, kissed his cheek, and wiped the tiny lipstick smear with her thumb.

"I'll put this away," she held up the Glock, "and then we can go."

Ed and Noah looked at one another.

"She's the boss," Ed said.

Noah agreed.

"Mommy the boss!"

Olivia returned with her purse. "Ready?"

Ed stared at her approvingly. "I forgot to tell you how gorgeous you look." Olivia was radiant in her coral-colored dress and cork wedges. She started to pull her hair back but reconsidered, knowing Ed preferred it down. The new bracelet was the perfect addition to her simple yet classy accessories.

"Thank you," she cooed.

"Oh, something else. Is Brooke bringing that guy?"

"Luke?"

"The Marine."

"No…that, apparently, is not going to work out."

Ed showed no outward emotion, but Olivia knew he was pleased.

…..


	11. Chapter 11

**Part II: Party Scenes**

There were only a handful of guests on the rooftop when they arrived. Olivia insisted that, as hosts, they should arrive early. Ed balked at the suggestion, so they compromised and settled on showing up at exactly 6:00, the official time listed on the invitations. Sarah and Jeff stood near the entrance, drinks in hand, ready to greet guests. When Sarah saw them, her face lit up, she darted over, and tried to hug all of them at once.

"Thank _God_ you're here," she gasped.

Ed screwed up his face at the unnecessarily dramatic display, "Of course we're here."

Olivia held Sarah's wrist, "You look beautiful." Sarah wore a flowy light pink sundress and her hair cascaded down her shoulders in soft waves.

"Thank you, Liv."

"Hello, all," Jeff said happily. He wore lime green pants and a white linen oxford. Olivia couldn't wait to hear Ed's assessment of the trousers.

"Eddie! Noah! Olivia!" The raspy voice of Caroline Tucker interrupted them, and the Tucker matriarch, all five-feet and one-hundred pounds of her, rushed over. She slapped Ed's chest disapprovingly. "I don't see you nearly enough."

Her eyes shifted to Noah who gripped Olivia's hand tightly, "Remember me?" Noah nodded shyly. "You tell your mom and Eddie to bring you to see me more often."

Next, she embraced Olivia. "Dearie, you are perfect. Look at you. Eddie, _marry her_." Another slap. Ed took it all in stride. Even in her late seventies and hampered by a lifetime of chain smoking, his mother still acted like a sprightly youngster.

Just as Brooke and Sarah were mirror images of their father, Ed and Caroline were obviously mother and son. The blue eyes and chiseled facial features apparently descended from the family's maternal side. Caroline eschewed hair dye, choosing instead to wear her gray locks in a closely cropped pixie cut. She either received impeccable dental care or wore dentures because when she smiled, which was often, her teeth were perfectly straight and white.

Caroline grabbed Olivia's wrist and tugged her away from the group, "Come on, over here and meet Margaret and John. Eddie, I guess you can come too," she called over her shoulder.

Dread crossed Ed's face as he followed.

Ed's sister and brother were seated in at a table in the far corner, already needing a refill. Caroline waved at the bartender. "We need more wine for these two, and…" she looked quizzically at Olivia.

"I'll start with Chardonnay," Olivia said.

"Vodka tonic." Ed muttered.

"Vodka preference, sir?"

"Grey Goose."

"And Noah?"

Ed pulled his cup from his bag. "He's good."

Caroline started introductions but she was interrupted by Noah who spotted Brooke making her way over to the table.

"Bwookey!" He yelled gleefully.

"Hi, No! Hi Grandma! Hi Aunt Margie and Uncle John!" She hugged everyone tightly. "I've been here for a while, but the caterer needed help, so I've been in the service elevator for the past hour." Alarm crossed her face. "Do I look like I've been in the service elevator for an hour?"

"No way," Ed assured her. "You look great."

Everyone nodded and beamed at her in agreement. Brooke's hair had grown out a little, and she'd managed to pin it back, giving her a timeless, graceful appearance. She and Sarah both decided to wear pink, but Brooke's dress was a darker hue, cap-sleeved, and A-line instead of the flare design her sister preferred.

"Sit down, Brookey," Caroline commanded. She was intent to get on with introductions, "Margie, Johnny, this is _O-liv-i-a_ and _No-ah_!" She said their names as if they were behind a curtain and she was tasked with the big reveal. "Eddie has been hiding them, but, thanks to Sarah, here they are in the flesh!"

Olivia wondered how long Ed would last at the table with his mother. From prior experience, she knew Caroline was a bundle of energy and, like Sarah, didn't hesitate to say what was on her mind, but the festive ambiance ostensibly sent her into a higher gear.

Ed's siblings introduced themselves and pointed out their high school and college-aged sons and daughters who were scattered at various spots on the rooftop. Both divorced, neither Margie nor John brought a date.

Caroline was quick to bring up their lack of partners, "I'm the only one in the family who managed to stay married to the same person 'til death did us part," she cackled and then made the sign of the cross in memory of her deceased husband.

Her children glowered at her but with the resignation that their aging mother would never abandon her affinity for no-holds-barred candor.

Margie chose to change the subject by engaging Noah in conversation and he warmed up quickly; however, when Caroline reached over for him he clung to Ed.

"Oh, you little stinker."

"Looks like you have a new best friend, Eddie," John commented.

Olivia stroked Noah's head, "You love your Tuck, don't you sweetie?"

Noah, head still buried in Ed's chest, shook his head in the affirmative.

"So, you two work together?" John asked Olivia.

"Sometimes," Olivia answered, "We're in different departments." She didn't really want to go into detail about her job.

Caroline helped out, "Eddie gets the dirty cops and Olivia gets the wife beaters and rapists. And sometimes," Caroline smiled cleverly, "the dirty cops are the wife beaters and rapists."

"Thanks, Grandma," Brooke muttered sarcastically, looking over at Olivia apologetically.

John and Margie nodded as if what their mother said was completely ordinary.

"That must make for interesting dinner conversation," Ed's sister said.

"Not really," Tucker answered flatly. He grabbed Olivia's elbow. "Do you want to dance?"

"To this music?" The deejay had been playing mostly hip-hop and fast-paced pop.

Ed shrugged. "I'll put in a request. Or, we can just dance slow. I need to move." Actually, he needed to be away from this conversation for a little while. "Noah, sit right here. I'm gonna dance with your mom for a little bit."

"I dance too?"

Brooke picked him up. "You and I'll dance, Noah."

Ed had a word with the deejay, and he played his first slow selection for the evening, something by Adele. Tucker held Olivia tightly as they swayed together. "I either need to drink more or leave early," he grumbled.

"No, Ed, come on," she encouraged, "This is nice. Look at the view. Sarah's happy. Just relax and try to have fun. And maybe find us another table?" She said, mostly kidding.

A combination of pride and appreciation came over his face. "Ok, Lieutenant."

"When are you giving your toast?"

"Whenever Brooke tells me to."

She gazed at him approvingly. "Wise man."

He kissed her again. It wasn't possible for her to be any closer to him, but he pressed his hands against her back and tried, just in case there was a square millimeter of separation between their bodies.

…..

Brooke danced Noah around from table to table, greeting guests. She ended up next to Sarah who was still hanging out near the entrance. Jeff had gone off for drinks.

"Where the," Sarah reached over and covered Noah's ears, "fuck is mom?"

"I have no idea."

"Did she RSVP?"

"Yes, she said they were coming."

Sarah surveyed the crowd. "Everyone I can remember inviting is here."

"Except for mom."

" _I_ didn't invite her," Sarah pointed out.

Brooke shot her a glance. _Don't let her ruin your night._

Sarah gestured towards Ed and Olivia who were one of only three other couples on the dance floor. "I can't wait for mom to see _that_. I hope he makes out with her later. Right in the middle of the," she covered Noah's ears again, "fucking dance floor."

"How much have you had to drink?"

"Three glasses of whatever this is. Merlot? Chianti?"

"It's _white_ ," Brooke observed, "Those are reds. It's probably Chardonnay."

"I'm _starving_ ," Sarah whined. "I haven't eaten anything all day. Well, I take that back, I had a bite of Jeff's pizza earlier. When's the food coming?"

"It's over there," Brooke pointed across the room. "You can go get a plate, or the waiters are coming around."

Sarah looked to where Brooke was pointing. She saw the food, but she also saw Jeff who had been corralled by Caroline. "Lookit," she said gleefully, "Grandma's got 'em. She made him _sit down_ with them." Sarah was cracking up. "He looks miserable."

"Do you know what she told Olivia?"

"What?" Sarah asked, wide-eyed.

Brooke started giggling so much she could hardly talk. "She said she was the only one in the family who could stay married to the same person…or something like that."

"Omigod, omigod. How _aw-ful._ "

"Yup. Then she said Dad arrests dirty cops and Olivia arrests rapists and then Dad made Olivia dance with him."

"Oh Jesus. Well," she turned her attention back to the dance floor, "It doesn't look like he had to _make_ her dance with him."

The deejay played another slow-ish song, and even though the tempo was faster, Ed and Olivia kept the rhythm of the previous song and they were wrapped up in their own little whispered conversation.

Noah, however, decided it was his turn to cut in.

"Down, Bwookey."

He ran onto the dance floor and hugged Ed's leg. Olivia picked him up and the three of them continued dancing, albeit a bit clumsily.

"I better eat something," Sarah concluded. "And on the way, I guess I'll rescue Jeff."

"That's nice of you," Brooke deadpanned.

Sarah winked at her and walked off.

…

One hour after the official start time, Angela Bennett stepped off the elevator alone and walked through the double doors. No one greeted her.

Brooke had just taken to the microphone to officially welcome the guests, invite them to eat and drink all they wanted, and to remind them to "wear out the dance floor." She then introduced her father who stood on the deejay platform above her and raised his glass.

"First of all, can we give Brooke and," he squinted in the lights, "Where's Olivia?" Brooke pointed. "Ok, there she is, let's give Brooke and my girlfriend Olivia a round of applause for making this party happen."

Applause and cheers.

Brooke took the mic back for a second, "and another round for my Daddy who paid for it," she cracked.

Louder applause and cheers.

Ed began the toast graciously, "First of all, it is so good to reconnect with old friends. Some of you I haven't seen since you were in high school. It's great to know you all turned out ok."

Laughter and snickers.

"Thanks, Sergeant!" Someone wisecracked. Ed flashed a rare broad smile. "It's Captain, now," he corrected.

Hilarity ensued, especially among those who knew how particular Ed was about his title.

"And it's always nice to have our family celebrate together. I would like to propose a toast to Jeff and Sarah. Jeff, buddy, you are a good man and I'll be honored to call you my son-in-law."

The crowd let out a collective "aww." Sarah, Brooke, and Olivia all teared up; Ed was trying not to look at them, but he addressed Sarah next.

"Sarah, my sweet girl, I will do everything in my power to make sure your wedding is perfect. I'm thrilled you've found someone who will make you happy forever. I love you, sweetheart."

Ed swallowed, fighting back his emotions.

"To Jeff and Sarah!" He managed.

"To Jeff and Sarah!" The crowd roared back.

Ed climbed down from the stage. Sarah wrapped him in a bear hug. "I love you, Daddy!"

"He did such a good job," Brooke whispered to Olivia. "Did you know what he was going to say?"

"No," Olivia was equally impressed, "I just suggested he say something nice about each of them."

Sarah broke away from Ed. Jeff came over and shook his hand heartily.

"Thank you, sir. For…for everything."

"Jeff, you can call me Ed."

The girls' eyes met. _Finally_.

"Well," Sarah said, "Eat, drink, and be merry!" The four of them stood in a circle in the middle of the dance floor and the party recommenced around them. People danced with drinks in hand, white-jacketed waiters held serving trays high above their heads as they maneuvered around, and the exhausted, the already-drunk, and those more intent on eating hung around the outer edges at tables. It was now dusk and the space was illuminated by stringed globe lights and wall sconces. The city's skyscrapers made the perfect backdrop.

"Where's Noah?" Ed asked.

"He's over near our table with the other kids. He's fine," Olivia said.

"We should get a picture before," he eyed Sarah, "we've had too much fun."

Ever since the beach, Ed had been the most frequent requester of group photos. Yet another pleasant and unexpected Tucker characteristic. The beach group photo was now framed and in his office.

Brooke enlisted a friend to take the photo. They posed with the Chrysler Building in the background, their smiles were jubilant, and their clothing coordinated almost perfectly. The dim surroundings muted Jeff's bright pants.

"Another good one," Brooke reported. "I'll send it to you."

Olivia and Ed huddled together to look at the photo, but they were quickly distracted.

"She's here," Sarah muttered.

Tucker clenched his jaw and put a protective arm around Olivia's waist.

Jeff took charge and grabbed Sarah's hand. "Let's go say hello."

….

"We should go over there," Olivia urged.

Tucker, stubbornly reluctant, stared straight ahead, his eyes following his girls and Jeff as they made their way to the corner of the bar where Angela was standing.

"Ed?" No response. " _Tucker_? C'mon. Be polite."

"Polite." He grumbled. " _She_ should come over here and be polite to _me_. Like by saying thank you."

"Well, that's not going to happen, so, _let's go_."

Noah, still wide awake and being held by his mother, tapped Ed's shoulder and repeated her words. "Tuck, let's go!"

How could he not give in after _that_?

Brooke, Sarah, and Jeff formed a semicircle around Angela. Ed and Olivia came up behind them.

"Hi Ed," Angela said curtly.

"Hi."

"Dave and Aidan aren't feeling well," Brooke explained.

"Too bad," Ed replied. "It's a great party."

"So I see."

"But thanks for coming, mom," Brooke said cheerfully.

"I wouldn't miss it," she replied, not proving that she truly cared one way or the other.

Sarah bounced from one foot to another impatiently as if she were calculating exactly how long she had to endure this before she could go back to ignoring her mother.

Ed introduced Olivia. She and Angela shook hands. Olivia smiled at her warmly, but Ed's ex-wife managed only a thin-lipped simper.

"And who's this?" Angela nodded at Noah.

Sarah, appreciating how children provided such convenient distractions, plucked Noah from Olivia's arms and hugged him tightly. "This is Noah! Who was my second choice for a husband. He blows me kisses and gives me shells and laughs at my jokes, right No?"

"Right, Sawah."

"Yours, Ed?" Angela asked.

"He's Olivia's son."

The pompous half-smile was still plastered on her face. "Well you must be awfully busy nowadays with work and a part-time toddler."

 _Part-time?_

"It's full time," he hissed through clenched teeth, "And it's a good busy." Ed again slid his arm around Olivia's waist and caught her glance, "Right?"

"Absolutely." She tried to sound cheerful, but even the optimistic Benson wanted out of this situation as soon as humanly possible.

The deejay, who Ed now considered his very best and closest friend, played another slow song. His timing could not have been better.

Sarah offered to watch Noah so they could dance. "C'mere, No. Dance with me and Brookey and Jeff."

"It was nice meeting you," Olivia said breezily as Ed pulled her by the hand onto the dance floor.

By the time Angela attempted an answer, Olivia was already several feet away in Ed's arms.

…

Jeff went off to chat with a few of his friends who came down from Philly. Sarah and Brooke deposited a drowsy Noah with Caroline and collapsed into a booth, exhausted, fuzzy from the alcohol, and also emotionally drained.

"How are these people still moving and drinking and eating?" Sarah asked.

"They didn't start as early as you and I did."

"When did you start?"

"Oh, Olivia and I had a glass of wine while we did the flowers."

"This _morning_?"

"Yes."

"You drunk."

Brooke playfully swung at her sister and missed. "So, let's see," she recollected, "I've witnessed at least three terribly uncomfortable moments tonight. One with Grandma. The other with Mom and Dad and Olivia. And the other when you wouldn't stop talking about how cute Ed and Olivia were on the dance floor when Mom was _right next to us_."

Sarah defended herself. "They are cute. And they _cooperated._ I told you earlier I wanted them to make out in front of her."

"Grow up. They weren't making out, and I don't think Mom cares."

"I think she cared that Olivia is so hot and Noah is so cute and Dad dotes on him like crazy. And they did kiss a few times." Sarah tried to mimic her mother's prissy expression. "Remember this face?"

"What is _that_?" Brooke guffawed. Sarah squinted her eyes into slits and pressed her lips together so hard they momentarily turned white.

"Mom trying to smile."

"You're hilarious," Brooke said wryly.

"It's funny though," Sarah sat up straighter and leaned on her elbows, "How different Mom and Olivia are. Like, look at Mom all in her two piece business suit thing and her hair all perfect and hairsprayed into a helmet. Then there's Olivia."

They surveyed the room searching for Olivia. She and Ed were back at the table with Caroline.

"There _is_ a major difference," Brooke admitted. As if to emphasize Sarah's point, Olivia doubled over with laughter at that moment showing her carefree, fun-loving side that their mother didn't seem to have. Brooke chuckled about Sarah's hair comment. Angela Bennett would have never whipped her head around as carelessly as Olivia did just then.  
Sarah widened her eyes. "Like, it's almost unbelievable to think that Dad and Mom were even _together_ , if ya know what I mean, when you see him with Olivia."

"I know."

"She's so _niiiice_. And gorgeous. And Dad's all like," Sarah tried to deepen her voice to match Ed's, "… 'whatever you want,' and 'after you,' and 'I'm mister badass police officer but yes, I'll kiss your son's boo boo' and he's always _touching_ her."

Brooke was having trouble controlling her laughter, "Your son's boo boo?"

"You know what I mean."

Brooke, sounding like Sarah now, added, "And mom's like 'fuck the boo boo."

This time, Sarah swung at Brooke but managed to connect with an arm. " _Yeeeessss_ , sister. Now you're getting it."

"Well, we won't see mom until the wedding. Or…no, your shower."

"Don't invite her," Sarah's voice sounded surprisingly sober, "Olivia will be there and I don't want a repeat of tonight."

"Let's worry about it later."

"Yes. Later. Shit. It's only ten-thirty? I'm never going to last until…when do we have to leave?"

"One."

"No way." Sarah reclined again and looked up at the stars. "Wouldn't it have been cool if Dad proposed to Olivia tonight? And we could have, like, a double wedding."

"You're fucked up. Dad would never do that and if they get married I don't think it will be like _your_ wedding."

"I guess I'm just a hopeless romantic."

"That you are, sis. That you are."

…

Noah slept soundly in Caroline's arms. She had even foregone her smoke breaks to cuddle him which, John somewhat viciously pointed out, was quite a big deal.

"You be nice to your mother, Johnny," Caroline scolded.

"Yeah, yeah, ma. Quit smoking."

"Eddie still smokes."

"Not as much as you."

Caroline resentfully waved him off.

Olivia yawned and put her head on Ed's shoulder. "You ready to go?" He asked.

"If you are."

"Yeah, let's get outta here. Ma, how are you getting home?"

"Margie's driving me."

"Alright." He studied his sister. "You ok to drive?"

"Yes. I've been drinking Coke for hours."

Caroline kissed Noah's forehead and passed him off to Ed who draped him over his shoulder. Noah curled an arm around Tucker's neck. They said their goodbyes to Ed's family and then went over to Angela who said an impassive goodbye while curiously eyeing Noah. Then, they found the girls, nearly asleep themselves, in the booth.

"We're leaving," Ed announced, casting a shadow as he stood over them. "I was going to say we're leaving so you and your friends can get crazy, but…"

"We're wiped." Brooke admitted.

"Well, just, make sure nobody breaks anything and get the receipt from the bartender before you leave."

"Ok."

Sarah stood up and hugged him gingerly so she didn't bother Noah. "Thank you Daddy." She then embraced Olivia, "Thank you Livvie."

"Are you two going to make it for breakfast tomorrow?" Olivia asked, clearly not confident about the chances they would be in attendance.

"We'll text you," Brooke drawled.

"Be safe tonight," Ed warned.

"Rightio, Daddio."

Ed placed a hand on Olivia's lower back and led her out. They said farewell to Jeff, got in the elevator, and easily hailed a cab.

"Well?"

"Well what?" Olivia pretended she was clueless.

"Margie and John? Angela? The party?"

"I enjoyed talking with your brother and sister," Olivia replied. "And I'm not sure I'll _ever_ talk to your ex-wife again." At this, they both laughed.

"The party was good, though. I think everyone had a good time."

Olivia agreed. "And I'm glad we got to dance."

"I love dancing with you."

"I didn't think you would be a dancer," she remarked.

"I'm really not, as you know, I just kind of move back and forth. It's like a mobile hug."

"And I also never thought you would have such a good sense of self-deprecating humor."

"I'm full of surprises I guess."

Olivia sidled up to him, clasped his thigh, and kissed him. They didn't come out of the lip lock until the cabbie stopped in front of their building.

"After we put him in bed, I'm going to jump in the shower," she told Ed as they entered the vestibule.

"Am I invited?"

She cocked an eyebrow at him. "Always, Captain," she flirted, "I would be insulted if you _didn't_ join me."

"Well…I wouldn't want to do that…" He mused. "So I'll be there."

…..

 _If there wasn't enough family drama for you, remember, there is always the wedding!_

 _Thanks for reading and reviewing!_


	12. Chapter 12

_I kinda had Ho Hey by the Lumineers in my head when I was writing this._

 _And I hope I didn't overhype on Twitter._

 _I loved writing this. Hope you enjoy!_

 **Moments**

"Where ya goin?"

Olivia slid on her tank top, searched the floor for some bottoms, found a pair of shorts, and put those on as well.

"The TV's still on and I need water," she looked at him seductively.

Ed listened. Sure enough, the opening credits of the movie played on a loop. _What movie was it?_ He thought. It was one of Brooke's suggestions. Oh yeah. _Mr. Holmes._

Fictional detective stories, for Ed at least, were always a bad choice. He could never immerse himself into the plot because he constantly critiqued the action, but Brooke insisted they watch it.

 _It's Sherlock Holmes, Dad._

Beginning with the very first scene, Ed pointed out problems with the plot, Olivia tried to justify the writers' creative slants, and it wasn't long before Tucker was comparing Holmes' detective work to Olivia's, with bias of course.

 _You would have handled that better._

 _You would have been more sympathetic._

 _That would have never happened if you were on the case._

Ed obviously had zero interest in the movie and Olivia suspected his incessant commentary was intended to distract her to the point where she gave up, too. It worked, but she went about proving it slowly.

Olivia lightly massaged his leg near his knee, an innocent gesture seemingly intended to quell his complaining.

He slouched so her hand inevitably moved up along his thigh.

"You're so bad."

"I thought I was _good_?"

"Right now, you're not behaving."

"I don't like this movie."

"Give it a chance. Brooke will want to talk about it."

"I'll tell her we fell asleep."

Olivia's fingers worked at his thigh more aggressively.

Ed, pretending not to notice, balked at the screen, "Now they're in _Japan_?"

"It's a flashback."

"I can't focus on this right now."

The kiss began aggressively; Ed wasted no time with the little introductory pecks. He dove right in, working his tongue deep into her mouth; Olivia did her best to kiss back, but he was on top of her now and she became wedged helplessly between the couch cushions. Ed pressed himself against her, grinding his hips slowly and then with determined ferocity.

Soon, she was so far jammed that he couldn't get a good grip around her, so he had to pause.

"Lemme help you." He extracted her.

"Thank y—"

His lips smashed back into hers.

….

Olivia turned off the television and smiled as she restored the couch to its orderly norm, straightened the end table and a dining chair, both of which had been knocked out of place as they ambled their way to the bedroom. She downed a glass of water, peeked in at a sleeping Noah, and returned to Ed.

"What took you so long?"

"I was gone for two minutes. Tops."

"It was longer," he insisted and pawed at her shorts.

"What are you doing?"

He moved one hand under her shirt and smoothed her hair with the other. "Trying to get you out of these _clothes_."

"Oh. Well," Olivia deftly removed her shirt, "here."

"You're too good to me," he rumbled. In a second, his mouth was on her chest, but he continued talking. "Tell me what you want."

"Mmmmm."

"I'll do _anything_."

Olivia shuddered as he ran his fingers lightly along the side of her torso. When he hooked the waist of her shorts he tugged them off.

"Liv, I love you."

"I love _you_."

"I mean it. I will do…Any. Thing. For. You." He was at her neck now, then her ear, then the neck again, then the other ear.

"I know. You already have."

"I have?" He stopped to look her in the eyes. He was on top of her now, propped on his elbows, mere inches from her face.

She narrowed her eyes in disbelief.

 _He still didn't get it._

"What?" He asked.

"You're my family," she spoke firmly and with finality. "You don't have to prove anything. You're my lover, my best friend, the person I trust most in the world…and you have no idea how happy I get when I see you with Noah."

Olivia swore she saw the relief physically exude from Ed just then. His facial muscles relaxed more than she had ever seen and his eyes danced with energy and excitement.

She grinned. "Also you saved my life."

"That was all you."

" _Still_."

Yes, their pillow talk included the usual expressions of affection but also reminders of tense hostage situations in which Benson had a gun held to her head. Completely normal. For them.

"I wanted to shoot that motherfucker myself."

"When's the last time you shot somebody?"

"When I was still with ESU. Do we have to talk about this now?"

"You brought it up."

"I'm changing the subject." He resumed kissing her, this time on her mouth, vigorously, while moving his hands all over her body wanting to touch her everywhere all at once.

"Ed!" She shrieked with pleasure.

He laughed and kissed her at the same time. " _Shhhhh_."

…

Olivia and Brooke sat side by side at the kitchen island. They were in the middle of a Face Time call to Sarah who frowned as Brooke told her the plans for the New York wedding shower.

"It is _my shower_ ," Sarah whined, "and I get to choose the guest list."

"We have to invite mom."

"I'll tell Jeff's mom to invite her to the Philly one."

"You're kidding, right?"

Olivia, the voice of reason, interjected, "Sarah, she'll find out about it. This shouldn't be a secret."

"I'm not asking you to keep it a secret. Look guys," Sarah stared seriously into the screen, "She and Dave already said they were paying for the honeymoon. That's enough involvement."

This was news to Brooke and Olivia. They both gaped at the expense.

"Well, that's, uh, nice," Brooke said.

"Wow," Olivia added.

"Oh," Sarah said breezily, "It's really not that big a deal. She said it's leftover from the college fund so she _thought I should have it_." Sarah spoke the last part trying to mimic Angela's tinny, petulant voice.

"She got a lot of scholarships," Brooke explained out of the corner of her mouth.

Sarah heard anyway and bragged, "I'm actually very smart! Test scores through the roof," she wiggled both index fingers upwards.

Olivia smiled admiringly then returned to the task at hand. "Why don't I just skip it?" She suggested graciously. "Your mother should be at your shower, and I don't want to be the one making things uncomfortable for everyone."

Both Brooke and Sarah shook their heads.

"It's not you," they said almost simultaneously.

Sarah continued, "I want to have a good time. And you met our mom. She's not exactly a _good time_ and I honestly don't think she would want to go. She doesn't like things like that."

"In her defense," Brooke retorted, "Nobody likes wedding showers. Or baby showers."

Sarah conceded the point. "And I get to endure _two_."

"Two rounds of gifts," Brooke reminded her.

"Right," Sarah's eyes grew wide with curiosity, "Um, when is this shower again?"

"October eighth," Olivia replied, "About a month before the wedding."

"Gosh we have a busy fall," Brooke remarked, flipping through her phone's calendar. "Dad's birthday next week, then your shower, then Noah's birthday, then the wedding, then Thanksgiving. It's like constant parties."

"I'm so excited!" They could only see Sarah's head, but it looked like she was bouncing up and down. "Have you told her?"

Olivia looked quizzically at Sarah and then at Brooke.

"No."

Sarah took the initiative, "Olivia, we want you to know we're really, really happy you're here and we _love_ you so much! Love. You. And we're not just saying that."

 _Cue the happy tears._

Olivia hugged Brooke, and Sarah shouted, "I WISH I WAS _THERE_!"

Olivia wiped her eyes and, true to form, Brooke and Sarah accelerated on to other matters.

"Speaking of here, how did you get Jeff to agree to a New York wedding?" Brooke asked. "Or…maybe we don't want to know?"

"He knows how happy I am there, and the guest list is more my people than his, so it wasn't the battle I thought it would be. I told him he could pick where we go on the honeymoon."

"Where's that?" Olivia asked.

"Someplace warm. He's still researching."

"Really nice. A fall New York wedding and then the beach. Perfect balance," Olivia concluded. She noticed the time on the stove. "Girls, I have to go before day care puts Noah out on the street."

Sarah blew kisses. "Byeeeee!"

….

After dinner, Ed and Olivia took Noah to the neighborhood park and let him run around in the spray fountain with the dozens of other kids whose parents had the same idea for unwinding on this muggy late August evening.

"How'd it go with the girls today?" Ed asked.

"We set the shower date, October eighth. Brooke started the invitations. And we decided that Angela should be invited."

"Ok."

"Well, Brooke and I decided."

Tucker long ago made peace with himself about his failed marriage, but he had been unsuccessful trying to encourage Brooke and Sarah to do the same. Angela wasn't exactly the most affectionate mother in the world, but, from his perspective, she wasn't a bad or abusive parent. Her personality was just naturally introverted and austere. Ed could say the same for himself, except, in some instances, for the introverted part. Long ago, he'd chalked up the shaky mother-daughter relationship to a byproduct of teenage angst, but when they got older the continued iciness baffled him. Obviously, there was more to the story, but now that they were adults, he left it alone in part because he selfishly enjoyed the girls' partiality to him.

Ed's silence on the matter bothered Olivia. "Don't you think it's better to invite her?" She asked.

"It's Sarah's wedding. She should get what she wants."

Olivia agreed but still saw herself as part of the problem and she told Ed so.

He balked and sneered, "Angela is the problem. _You_ ," he looked her straight in the eyes, completely serious, "are most definitely not." Then he kissed her. "Let Sarah have her way."

"We also talked about your birthday."

"Oh? I guess it's not a surprise party then?"

"Sorry, no."

Ed put his hand over her forearm. A commotion on the opposite side of the spray fountain alerted him. "Hang on a minute, Liv." Ed popped up and walked briskly to where a shabbily dressed man, probably homeless, was ranting incoherently under the playground's monkey bars. The play equipment was packed with kids and the adults scrambled to grab their children. At the sight of Tucker approaching, shield in hand, their faces went from contorted with concern to thankful and relieved.

 _Oh thank God, a cop is here._

He approached the man carefully. "Sir, what are you doin?"

The man ignored Ed and continued screaming. Tucker made a call, and within minutes sirens blared and a patrol car was on scene to remove the man. Ed chatted with the unis a bit then made his way back to the bench, nodding to those who called out their thanks.

"He's on his way to Bellevue?" Olivia asked.

Ed nodded and seamlessly resumed the conversation. "So, my birthday?"

"Well, it's the Tuesday after Labor Day, and I have to work that weekend-"

He interrupted. "Tuesday is a terrible day for a birthday. And I never like it when you work on weekends."

"I know, but stay with me. So, Brooke suggested we take you to dinner Tuesday night and then Sarah and Jeff are coming in the next weekend to see some reception venues and to plan a bit. So, we'll celebrate with them, too."

"Sounds good."

"Do you want me to invite anyone else? Your mom or Margie and John? Cole?"

"My mom would probably like to come. But for the weekend. Not Tuesday—we'll have to pick her up and take her back to Riverdale."

Olivia sent a quick text to Brooke confirming the birthday plans.

A couple crouched at the end of their bench and prepped their daughter to head into the spray fountain. "Water cold?" the father asked.

"Seems to be ok," Tucker replied and pointed in Noah's direction. He was running in circles with a few other toddlers, "I don't think we'll get him outta there without a fight."

The mother lifted an infant from the stroller. "Do you mind if I sit here?"

Olivia scooted closer to Ed. "Not at all."

The girl looked hesitant to enter the fountain.

"Noah!"

At the sound of Ed's voice, Noah's head snapped to attention. He ran over. Ed pointed to the little girl, "Why don't you take," Ed looked up at her parents for a name.

"Elena," the father replied.

"Why don't you take Elena in the water with you?"

Noah looked at the girl warily, but then reached out his hand and she took it.

"Thanks," the mother said. "She's so afraid of the water."

"We just signed Noah up for swimming lessons…" Olivia and the woman traded toddler stories and tips until the sun started dip below the tree line.

Tucker was wrong. Noah left the fountain without a struggle, they wrapped him in a towel, and walked home with Noah taking in the streetscape perched high on Ed's shoulders.

…

The end of August and Labor Day weekend came and went uneventfully. Brooke lamented going back to work even though she loved her job. The long hot summer drew to a close with relatively few calls for SVU, none terribly intricate or time consuming, and Olivia's weekend on-call duty only ripped her out of bed once, on Sunday night, so she was able to spend some quality hours with Ed and Noah. However, a day later, Tucker's birthday, she and the squad were consumed with a disturbing uptick in Subway incidents which had started as indecent exposure cases but recently escalated sexual assaults. The case they were working was one of a young woman who had been groped on the 4 Train and then followed home and nearly raped before a neighbor intervened.

Ed had already planned to pick up Noah from day care on his way home, but instead of meeting Olivia back in the apartment, the boys would have to meet her at the restaurant. Tucker and Draper snuck out early for a birthday cocktail and then Ed went to get Noah. Day care pick-ups were an unexpected pleasantry for Tucker. He loved watching as Noah realized his presence and then dropped everything and ran to him, shouting "Tuck!"

By now, Ed was a regular on the kid-retrieval circuit. He gave a familiar greeting to the desk attendant and the teachers, plucked the backpack from its hook, and scooped up Noah.

"Ready for dinner, bud? You hungry?"

"Hey, Noah!" Ed turned to see a twenty-something man clad in a polo and khaki shorts smiling at them. In his arms was a boy Noah's age. In addition to thinking it was odd that the man called out to Noah and didn't simply catch up with them and strike up an adult conversation, Tucker also wondered what on Earth these millennials did for a living that afforded them the luxury of dressing so casually all the time. The man's attire was typical for younger day care dads. Maybe it was just this location. Still, Ed was intrigued.

The man introduced himself and his son, and they made small talk on their way out of the building. As they exited, the other boy grabbed his dad's face and asked, "Daddy where we going?"

Ed wasn't really paying attention to the answer, so he said his goodbyes and walked in the opposite direction. A few seconds later, Noah slung an arm around Ed's neck and said the same thing.

 _Daddy where we going?_

In life there are moments, and then there are _Moments_. This one fell into the latter category.

Tucker froze. Literally. He stopped walking in the middle of rush hour pedestrian traffic. Here he was. Mid-fifties. Lifetime member of the NYPD. Glock on his hip. Captain's shield on his waist. Totally in control. But suddenly Noah's little fingers curled affectionately around his ear and his other hand clutched the knot of his tie and the gravity of the _Moment_ superseded everything. Tucker could not move.

People scoffed as they navigated around him.

He was stunned.

He also had no idea how to respond. Correct Noah? Ignore it? Answer the question?

Ed turned his neck and Noah's beaming face, eyebrows raised with innocent curiosity, met his. Brown ringlets hung over his ears and stuck to his damp forehead; he really needed a haircut.

 _Daddy_ , _where are we going?_

 _Daddy?_

He answered the question. "We're going to drop off your bag at home and then meet mommy and Brookey for dinner."

"For your birdday?"

Noah remembered the conversation he had with Olivia that morning. They sang "Happy Birthday" to Ed and then gave him birthday kisses and Noah was promised a healthy portion of the birthday cake if only he would agree to get dressed.

Noah, still in his chanting phase, had intoned, "Tuck Birdday! Tuck Birdday!" as Olivia readied him.

Eight hours later, "Tuck" became "Daddy."

Should he call Olivia?

No, he would see her in less than an hour. Noah was parroting the other kid anyway. Then again, they had been around kids saying "daddy" before. Why now? Was it that Noah simply recognized a distinct parallel? After all, both he and the other kid were being toted out of day care by male caretakers.

Noah still peered at him intently.

"Yeah, bud, for my birthday. Whatcha want to eat?"

"Cake!"

Tucker smiled at him. "Yeah, we're gonna have cake, but dinner first bud. You want grilled cheese?" They were going to a pub two blocks away from the apartment, a usual spot for casual dinners during the week.

"I have grillcheese and fries?"

"Yup."

"Ketchup on my shirt." Noah tugged at his shirt remembering a previous spill which was partially due to Tucker forgetting to put Noah in a booster seat.

"We'll be more careful this time, No."

They dropped off the Thomas backpack at the apartment, and Ed used the pit stop to change into more casual attire and run a cool washcloth over Noah's face and hands.

"You know what?" He said to Noah, "Let's change your shirt." Indeed, the shirt was streaked with remnants of the day's snacks and art projects.

They were slightly late, but Olivia had already sent a text apologizing for her own tardiness and Brooke used the delay to catch a quick nap after her first day back at school.

They arrived at the pub almost at the same time. Brooke had just been seated when Ed and Noah arrived. A few minutes later a hurried Olivia burst in, hugged everyone hello, and took the seat closest to Ed.

"Happy Birthday!" she gushed as if she hadn't seen him in a year and kissed him hard on the lips. "Did you have a good day?"

"No better or worse than others," he replied casually. "What about you?"

"Crazy. But the squad's on the subway cams and the street cams, so we'll get him. I may need to go back later, so I better take it easy." Olivia turned her attention to Brooke. "How was the first day of school?"

She looked exhausted. "It went fast. A lot of new outfits and shoes and reunions. Not much learning."

"It's just the first day."

"Yep. The typical first day for sure. But forgive me if I'm not up for a long night."

Neither Tucker nor Olivia looked disappointed. "We'll get together again Saturday," Ed assured her. "Grandma's coming over and we're going to do dinner with Jeff and Sarah."

"And we'll do presents then," Brooke instructed, "I forgot to wrap yours."

Ed just laughed.

They ordered a round of drinks and toasted Ed's birthday, ate, and then embarrassed the birthday boy with a blazing cake and a cadre of singing waiters.

"Don't forget to make a wish," Olivia reminded him before he blew out the candles. He shot her an expression of mischievousness and mystery then extinguished the flames.

Noah clapped. "Cake! Tuckcake!" Ed thought about his earlier exchange with Noah.

 _He said "Tuck" this time. But in one word like "cupcake" only it was "tuckcake."_

How was it possible a two-almost-three-year-old was bending his mind so inscrutably?

The question would have to wait. After they cleaned up a chocolate-covered Noah, they parted ways on the sidewalk. Before she headed south, Brooke hugged Ed tightly.

"Love you, Daddy," she said.

 _Daddy_.

"Love you, too. Have a good day tomorrow."

"I will."

"See you Saturday."

Brooke flashed a grin and walked off.

…

Back at home Olivia gave Noah a quick bath and dried his hair. She brought him into the living room where Noah picked out a book. He and Olivia cuddled on the couch and read while Ed took a shower. Noah was asleep and in bed before Tucker emerged shirtless with a towel wrapped around his waist.

Olivia cooed, "Well, _helllll-lo_."

Water droplets still clung to his arms and shoulders, and his hair, which had grown longer than he usually kept it, was spiky.

For the moment, Tucker was immune to the flirting. "He asleep?"

"Yes," she answered apprehensively. An unresponsive Tucker was unusual and Olivia was concerned. Especially since it was his birthday.

"Hey, I wanna talk to you about something."

She knew something was wrong. He was too quiet and reserved, even for him, at dinner.

Olivia sat back down on the couch and patted the cushion. "What?"

"It's really nothing," his eyes drifted off towards the kitchen.

"Ed?" She lightly redirected his face with a fingertip.

He rubbed a hand over his damp head. "Today, on the way out of day care, Noah called me _daddy_."

Olivia and Ed stared at one another.

Impasse.

"Um," Olivia started, "I guess I'm not surprised. What did you say?"

"I answered his question. He asked where we were going." She started to respond, but he cut her off, "I don't think it's a big deal. We were walking out with this guy and his kid, and the kid called him 'daddy' and Noah repeated exactly what the other kid said."

"What did he call you after that?"

"Nothing for a while. But, then he went back to Tuck."

"Are you ok with him doing that? I mean, I can see how he would be confused."

 _Talk about being confused._ Tucker considered it to be within Olivia's purview as to what terms Noah used to refer to him, and she was asking _him_ if he was ok with "daddy?"

Ed scrunched up his face, "It's just…it rattled me. I wasn't prepared for that. And he's two. How do we explain that I'm not his dad?"

 _Daddy, where are we going?_

"But it was so…"

"Natural?" Olivia suggested.

That was not a word Ed would have used, but, yes, Noah's question had certainly come naturally.

Olivia did not share even a small percentage of the concern Ed felt. "You're probably right, he was just copying the other kid."

"What if he wasn't? What if he calls me daddy tomorrow?"

Olivia shrugged. "Then he calls you daddy," she concluded a bit too casually, "but if you're uncomfortable…I'll talk to him."

"And say what?"

"I don't really know. Just explain you're Tuck and not Daddy." Olivia could tell Ed was unhappy with that resolution. She took his hands in hers. "What do _you_ want, Ed?"

"I want to marry you."

 _It just came out._ He meant it, but he hadn't intended to deliver the line at that moment.

Now it was Olivia's turn to be uncomfortable.

"I know you've said you're not ready and you get nervous talking about it," he added, not really sure what he was doing. He hadn't planned on proposing just now.

"You want to marry me because Noah called you Daddy?"

Ed smiled, "No, I want to marry you because…because I just _know_. And when that happened today, I thought, _what are we waiting for_? I think it was a sign."

 _A sign?_ Who was this person?

"So what if tomorrow he calls you Tuck again?"

"He can call me Tuck forever if he wants, the point is that, well, you said we were family."

"I did."

"Then let's be _family_."

Olivia's eyes filled with tears and then spilled over and streamed down her cheeks as Ed's eyes conveyed all his years of pent up admiration, lust, adoration, affection, love, and, now, devotion…also, to a certain extent, relief.

"Ok," she whispered.

"Ok?"

"Ok."

"You'll marry me?"

"Yes."

This wasn't exactly how he had planned it, but he jumped up and darted toward the bedroom.

"Where are you going?" She asked, wondering why her now-fiancée was running away from her seconds after she'd agreed to marry him.

"I'll be right back."

To Olivia's surprise and awe, he returned with a small, black box in his hand and the Tucker smirk on his face.

…

#Tuckson #Always


	13. Chapter 13

_I had planned something different for this chapter, but it went in a different direction. So, the Tweet I posted about it being tear-inducing is probably not accurate! Also—it's going to be difficult to top the last chapter (my personal favorite of them all)…but I hope you enjoy reading the Tuckson sweetness!_

 **Celebration Scenes**

Olivia summoned the squad to her office for a quick meeting first thing the next morning. Exhausted from the previous day's investigation, they were less than enthusiastic about what sounded like a serious talk. The lieutenant's brisk pace and no-nonsense tone of voice was not encouraging.

She sat behind her desk, and sipped coffee while trying to conceal her left hand.

"Guys," she began slowly, almost in a sigh, "the last time I decided to keep something personal a secret, it turned out badly." They watched her expectantly, "so…I want you to know, Tucker and I are…engaged."

She held up her hand.

Rollins' eyes turned to saucers. She reached out and examined the ring's design. "It's gorgeous, Liv! Congratulations!"

Ed knew Olivia would not want something ostentatious, so he went for a platinum band with a cushion cut diamond, elegant and classic, yet it had just enough glitz to make Olivia want to flaunt it. In fact, she kept glancing down at her hand in awe the whole way to the precinct.

Sonny grinned from ear-to-ear. "That is so great, Lieutenant! You and Captain Tucker are so perfect for each other. So perfect. We're so happy for you. You let us know if you need help planning. I've been on dozens of planning sessions. My family? We have weddings every other week it seems."

Fin stared at him incredulously. He still wasn't sure about Carisi, and SVU's newest detective had a boyish, sycophantic, attachment to Olivia and to Tucker. Fin was not a regular on their after-work drink outings, but when he was in attendance, Carisi always planted himself in close proximity to Tucker and chatted incessantly. It annoyed everyone except Tucker, but that wasn't shocking. The menacing IAB Captain surely did not have many NYPD pals.

Fin remained silent until he and Olivia were alone.

"I talk about change and you go and get _married_?"

" _Engaged_. And I had no idea."

"You musta known something."

"Not really," she replied, almost dazed, "We've been so busy with Sarah's wedding, then, last night, out came the ring. Totally unplanned."

"He musta planned it at some point. He had the ring. A guy's not gonna buy a ring if he's not planning to use it." Fin finally smiled and his face filled with brotherly affection as he hugged her tightly then held her at arm's length. "You have it all now, Liv. You look happy."

 _You have it all._

Apparently so, and it had come rapidly.

She cast her eyes over her desk and the credenza. The picture frames multiplied in recent months and included Ed, the girls, and, of course, Noah. The newest photographs were from the engagement party. One was the group shot, and the other was one of the three girls. They posed with their arms around one another's waists, Olivia in the middle, their faces flushed with joy, and they flashed broad, carefree smiles.

"Fin," Olivia spoke reflectively, "All these years…waiting…wondering…and, yes, finally, I do feel like I have everything I've ever wanted." Her eyes welled up again, but she'd grown accustomed to near-daily bursts of blissful emotions.

"Balance," he parroted her prior advice.

"Right."

She tapped the beach photo with her finger.

 _And love. A lot of love._

….

Caroline wasn't in the apartment five minutes before she noticed the ring.

"Oh my God, Eddie, you did it!" Ed's spitfire of a mother violently hugged her son and then slapped his chest. "You see, always listen to your mother." She grabbed Olivia's arm. "And you, Olivia, if he doesn't act right, you just call me. His hair may be getting more and more like mine, but I can still knock some sense into him if he needs it. But then again, you can probably do that, too."

For at least the third time since they'd met, Caroline sized up an amused-looking Olivia. Next to the petite Caroline, she looked gigantic and surely capable of knocking sense into Tucker if the need arose.

Sarah, assisted by Jeff, passed around freshly mixed cocktails. "When's the wedding? You wanna get married with us?"

Jeff tried not to look mortified, but his concern didn't last long.

"No," Ed answered tersely.

Sarah stuck out her lower lip, pretending to pout. "Oh, boo. Noah, you're gonna have to be ring bearer twice."

Noah looked up from his toys. "I wear tux, Sawah."

"Yes you are sweet boy!" Sarah rushed over and kissed the top of his head. Earlier in the day Noah had gone with Jeff and Ed to be fitted for their wedding day finery.

"Sare-bear, who taught you to mix drinks?" Caroline's gin and tonic was apparently not to her liking.

"Uncle Johnny."

"That's the problem," Caroline hissed and then went to the kitchen where she drained part of the drink and refilled it with Gilbey's.

"That better?" Jeff chided her.

"Very much. Now, Eddie, when _are_ you getting married? You don't want to wait too long; Olivia might change her mind."

Ed cast a glance at Olivia. _Why did we invite her again?_

"We talked about sometime after Christmas or the New Year," Olivia answered cheerfully. "No rush. We want to enjoy Sarah's wedding and the holidays." She snuggled up to Ed and thought about how nice it would be to plan Thanksgiving and Christmas together. She couldn't wait to stroll around the city arm-in-arm, illuminated by the lighted displays, and shop for presents.

Sarah tugged at Brooke's sleeve. "We need to plan Olivia's shower."

Brooke and Olivia were amused by Sarah's naivete.

"Olivia doesn't want or need a shower, silly," Brooke said, "A shower is for people like you who don't have house-type things. You know? How you have all those mismatched plates? A shower will fix that."

Sarah frowned, "Well at least have a little party."

"A party after we get married will be plenty," Olivia said.

A bemused Ed escaped from the women and took a seat on the couch next to Jeff. They struck up a baseball conversation while the girls retreated to the dining table. Caroline flipped through the bridal magazines with a frown on her face questioning why everything these days had to be so fancy and formal.

"When I got married," she said, "I wore a dress my mother and grandmother wore. It was the plainest thing you've ever seen. I didn't even get new shoes. And I wore a crucifix on my neck. The mass was forty-five minutes. In and out. We had dinner. Then we had Eddie."

" _GRANDMA_!" Brooke and Sarah bellowed at the same time.

The women all burst into uncontrollable laughter. Jeff and Ed acknowledged them with raised eyebrows then turned their attention back to the baseball playoffs.

At Ed's request, Olivia had the deli put together a sandwich tray for their late lunch, Brooke made a potato casserole, and Noah picked out the cake—a three-tier chocolate-on-chocolate monstrosity that the five of them would never finish. The cake so excited Noah, though, that she had to buy it.

"Dada like choc'it cake!" He'd explained, jumping up and down in line at the bakery. "Ice crweam and cake!"

"You and Dada eat a lot of cake and ice cream, don't you?"

Noah looked up at her skeptically as if he weren't quite sure he could trust her with such classified information, but then he broke into a wide grin and nodded.

After the first "Daddy" came out of Noah's mouth, it seemed that he really had been simply copying the other boy, but a day later Noah woke up earlier than usual when even the early-rising Tucker was still asleep, and called for Tuck, but quickly added "Daddy." Since then he'd invented the hybrid "Dada Tuck" but more frequently used "Dada" and "Daddy."

The morning after Ed slid the ring on Olivia's finger, they showed it to Noah and explained what getting married meant, not thinking he would understand much, if anything.

 _Tuck will be your Daddy and take care of you forever and ever just like he's Sarah and Brookey's Daddy._

At the time, Noah focused solely on the ring, entranced by the shiny new bauble, but, as usual, he comprehended a great deal more than the adults gave him credit for. Any worries about unnecessary confusion had proven unfounded.

After eating, Olivia arranged the candles and produced the enormous cake.

"How many candles did you put on that thing?" Ed asked incredulously. The cake looked like it was topped with an inferno.

"All of them."

They sang, Ed took a deep breath, and blew, successfully extinguishing all candles. Everyone clapped. Noah banged on the high chair tray.

"Presents!" Sarah announced gleefully. She stacked colorfully wrapped boxes in front of Ed, blocking him from view.

"Thanks," he muttered sarcastically, peeking around the pile. "I guess I'll start with the big one."

His gifts included tickets to the Yankees' final regular season game, a nicely matted and framed copy of the engagement party picture, a book, a gift card, and a Kuerig-style coffee maker from Olivia.

"It brews two cups at once," she explained.

One of his trivial pet peeves was waiting for the second cup of coffee to brew on the mornings they were both up early.

Tucker graciously thanked everyone one last time, sat back in his chair, and surveyed the half-eaten cake, mess of boxes, tissue paper, and gift wrap.

Noah, agitated, battled to get out of the high chair. "Mama," he reached out for Olivia. "The present for Daddy. Noah's present."

Olivia cleaned him up and set him free. He disappeared into the back hall, his little footsteps creating a faint echo, and emerged with another gift wrapped in metallic blue paper.

"Birdday present, Dada."

Ed pulled him into his lap. "From you, bud?"

Noah smiled, nodded, and started to unwrap it himself. Inside were two items—a blue and green striped tie and a tie bar engraved with Tucker's initials. Noah grabbed the bar and tried to clip it on Ed's shirt. "This for you, for police."

Ed pulled him close and kissed him on the side of the head.

"He picked out the tie himself," Olivia pointed out proudly, "I know it's a little brighter than you normally wear. He picked it out right away."

"It's great. I'll wear it Monday. Thank you, No." Ed beamed; he was obviously touched by the gift.

Noah was still intensely concentrating on affixing the bar to the polo, so his response was a bit absent-minded.

"Welcome, Daddy. Love you, Daddy. You wear this for police. Where's the badge? You need the badge for police."

Sarah finished her drink and went to pour another. "That boy is _crazy_ for the police. Dad, you should take him to work with you and just start training him now."

"Good idea, Sare-bear," Caroline added. "The next generation of IAB."

Mock dread filled Olivia's face as she sighed, "Oh, God."

…..

"From the time you were a little girl, ever since you could remember, you wanted a traditional, _normal_ , life." Lindstrom peered at her with his usual hypercritical expression.

"It seems my dream finally came true."

"Congratulations, Olivia."

She fought back tears. "Thank you."

"And, Brooke and Sarah? Have you told them?"

"We did…they're…overjoyed. They both screamed and then we all started crying, well, Ed didn't, but the girls and I did. Brooke hugged us, and Sarah, she was on the iPad, she's so funny, she started yelling, 'No group hugs without me!' It was precious."

"And Noah?"

"We told him what's going on, but, you know, nothing is really different for him. He accepted Ed into his life months ago."

"Earlier this year, Ed mentioned marriage and you said you were so nervous that you were physically shaking." Lindstrom had an encyclopedic knowledge and copious notes, of everything Olivia had ever said to him. "What changed?"

Olivia told him about the conversation-turned-proposal that occurred on Ed's birthday. "We were talking about Noah. It was strange because I wasn't surprised Noah called him _Daddy_. We've been living together and even before we were in the same apartment, he saw Ed almost every day. I knew it was a matter of time."

"But it bothered Ed?"

"I don't think it bothered him, he's just been very careful about crossing lines."

"Lines you drew?"

"I haven't drawn any lines. I was worried about Ed eventually getting tired of having a toddler around all the time, and he was worried he was too invested. We both wanted the same thing which we realized after we talked about it."

"It sounds like you communicate well with him."

"We do."

"Maybe that's what changed? Having someone with whom you can connect on this level? About things other than work?"

Olivia agreed. "Also, living together. It was a test, but we transitioned so smoothly. Like," she began choking back tears, "We were meant to be there all along."

"Does it still frustrate you…that it took such a long time for you to have what you've always wanted?"

"No. I had to let that go. There's nothing I can do about it _now_. I'm enjoying it all."

Lindstrom smiled proudly, "Olivia, we have made so much progress."

….

Thunderstorms swept across Manhattan on the day of the shower and Olivia felt bad leaving Noah with Ed and Jeff as they would be cooped up inside all day. They had planned to go to the zoo, but now the men would have to entertain the toddler without the assistance of live animals and fall sunshine.

"Wanna go bowling?" Jeff suggested.

"Possibly," Ed said.

"Dave and Busters?"

" _In Times Square_?"

Jeff shrugged, "Noah would probably like the games. You wanna drive a racecar, Noah?"

Noah smiled, made a Vvvvvrrrrooooooom sound, and shouted, "I drive rwacecawr!"

"I guess that settles it," Ed muttered good-naturedly. An afternoon battling tourists in a cacophonous arcade/bar wasn't exactly his idea of a pleasant afternoon, but Jeff was right. Noah would have fun and it would be interesting to see his reaction to the bustle and bright lights of Times Square.

Olivia rummaged around in the front closet searching for an umbrella. She pushed aside her spillover clothes and checked deep into the corners. No umbrella. Just as she was about to call Ed's name and ask if he'd seen it, she felt something poke her thigh. There he was, umbrella in hand. He cocked his head, "Looking for this?"

Instead of releasing his grip when she took the pointed end, he pulled her towards him. "You look too good to go out with a bunch of women."

"We offered to make it a coed shower."

"No thank you."

She put her hand on his hip, "Then, I guess I'll see you later."

Ed leaned over to lightly kiss her, thinking she wouldn't want her makeup smudged, but he was the one who lingered in the mirror after she left, wiping lipstick from his face. He smiled at his own reflection.

 _God I love her._

…

Brooke handled the seating arrangements and she made sure Angela's table was as far as possible from theirs. Brooke and Sarah were joined by Caroline, Margie, and three of Sarah's college friends at a large round table adjacent to a smaller one covered in gifts. Sarah limited the guest list to her closest friends and relatives, and the thirty or so attendees drank mimosas and nibbled on quiche and fruit salad. Neither Brooke nor Sarah wanted the unpleasant games, so they made their guests endure only two— _Bridal Shower Bingo_ and _How Well Do You Know the Bride?_

Caroline balked at some of the questions. She read from the questionnaire. "What is her favorite _drink_? God, how are we supposed to know that? Every time I'm with her she has something different in her hand!" She continued down the list. "The groom's best feature? Well, I'm just going to go ahead and guess his—"

" _Grandma_!" Brooke hissed, "It's just a game. Calm down."

Caroline patted Brooke's hand. "Oh, Brookey, you sweet girl. Why don't you go get me a gin-and-tonic? This thing is going to give me heartburn." She held up the mimosa gingerly, as if it might explode at any second.

"The gin won't?" Brooke shot back.

Caroline raised her eyebrows. _Do what your grandmother tells you to do, dearie._

Brooke went to the restaurant's main bar to fulfill Caroline's request. Sarah's college roommate, Betsy, spoke to Olivia from across the table. "Olivia, it's good to meet you, and, congratulations on your engagement. I think Sarah is just as excited about your wedding as she is about hers!"

"Thank you," she replied. "It is certainly an exciting time."

"I'm just glad Eddie found someone who'll put up with him," Caroline interjected. "He's always so serious. With this one," she pointed to Olivia, "he smiles. Finally. You know when he was younger, he'd get a new bike or a new pair of shoes, and that boy would just act like the presents were no big deal, say thank you, give us the tiniest little grin, like he was forcing it just for us, and go on about his business. Right, Margie?"

Margie nodded knowingly. "I've never seen any kid so calm on Christmas morning."

Olivia blushed, but her heart was warm knowing Ed's closest family not only noticed and appreciated her influence but tacitly approved of her.

Brooke returned with the drink and announced it was time to open presents. Sarah stood behind the pile, and Brooke and Olivia joined her with notepads and pens. The bride-to-be went from package to package, smiled broadly and gave genuine thank-yous while Olivia and Brooke scribbled furiously, making sure to properly match gift and giver.

"We shoulda videoed it," Brooke said under her breath.

"Definitely would have been easier," Olivia replied.

Sarah opened more boxes until, finally, three cards were all that remained. Caroline and Margie both wrote her checks, and the final card contained Angela's honeymoon money. Sarah peered across the room, found her mother, and spoke formally. "Thanks so much, mom. We really appreciate this. Our trip will be the perfect way to start our life together." Angela gave her a smile and mouthed a "you're welcome."

"Hey, Sare, there is actually one more." Brooke slid a pink and white striped box to her sister. She whispered under her breath again to Olivia, "I'm glad we saved this for last."

Sarah read the tag. "To Sarah from Brooke and Olivia." She turned to them, "You didn't have to get me anything. You did the whole shower!"

"Open it," Olivia encouraged.

Sarah dug into the box and gushed over the contents. "Omigod, omigod, this is _adorable_!" Knowing how crazy Sarah was about monogramming practically everything she owned, Brooke and Olivia purchased bath and kitchen towels, cloth napkins, pillow cases, a set of notecards, and a sterling silver necklace all with Sarah's new initials. When she found the necklace, in a smaller box at the bottom, the normally unflappable young woman looked at the two of them gratefully, tears spilling from her eyes. "Thank you so much," she said as she hugged them both at the same time. "I love it. You're the best."

As Brooke and Olivia stuffed the wrapping paper and ribbon into large trash bags, Angela came over clutching her purse, apparently on her way out.

"Excellent job with the shower, Brooke," she said in a strained voice. "The food was wonderful."

"Thanks, mom. We tried to make it low key but classy. I'm glad you had a good time."

If Angela had a good time, she didn't let on. Her face contorted into a perpetual frown and when she spoke, it was almost always through clenched teeth. However, she did say hello to Olivia and remarked that it was nice to see her. Just as Olivia and Brooke thought she was leaving, Angela continued speaking, this time to Olivia. "Oh, and I suppose congratulations are in order."

 _How did she know?_

"Thank you," Olivia replied graciously.

"Good luck to you," Angela said, " _My_ second time around was much better than the first." Her words came out as if she assumed Olivia had been married before.

Olivia tensed. All Brooke could think about was that they were fortunate Sarah was on the opposite side of the room and hadn't heard.

Unintimidated, the lieutenant simply went into cop mode—edgy and confident. "Luck is definitely not needed, but thank you anyway." She stared straight into Angela's eyes.

From across the room, Sarah caught sight of Olivia in her navy dress and matching wedge heels towering over her scrawny mother. Sarah rushed over, but not before admiring again how her father was getting a significant upgrade. Angela had opted for her usual two-piece suit rather than a dress and her hair was teased into the familiar stiff bob. _She's so pale_ , Sarah thought, and Olivia is, _so alive._

"Hey, ma, thanks again for the honeymoon check." Sarah was trying not to show her breathlessness. The last thing she wanted was for Olivia to have to deal with her hostile mother, especially when Sarah had advised against inviting her in the first place.

"I hope you and Jeff enjoy your vacation."

"We will."

"I should go. I have a long drive back home. Brooke, do you want me to drop you on the way?"

Sarah gaped at Brooke. _You haven't told her you moved into Dad's place?_

"No, mom, I'm good," she replied nonchalantly.

"Ok then."

When Angela was safely through the double doors, Sarah began an interrogation, "What the hell, Brookey?"

She shrugged.

"What if she tries to send you a Christmas card or something?"

"It'll get forwarded."

Sarah scrutinized Brooke's face. "Sister, sister, sister. All these years I thought it was just me."

"I've tried to give her the benefit of the doubt, but the card today? With the check? That was so tacky and lame."

Sarah giggled, exasperated, "I know, _right_? Like, she couldn'ta picked up some coffee mugs or something along the way? Or just not given me anything." She took Olivia's hand, "I'm so sorry."

"For what? I don't know about you two, but I had fun today. Brooke, once again, you did a fabulous job planning."

Brooke found her purse and handed Sarah hers, "Whaddya say we go get a drink before we go home?"

Sarah swilled the rest of a mimosa that may or may not have been hers. "I'm down."

Somewhere in Manhattan, Angela was probably snarling to herself as she battled her way back to Connecticut through the thick city traffic. On the streets of midtown, Ed Tucker's best girls giggled and chatted loudly with one another before disappearing through the doors of Brooke's favorite local pub.

….

Jeff, Sarah, and Brooke invited Olivia and Ed to have dinner with them, but the older adults declined. It was still raining steadily and they preferred to spend the rest of the evening hanging out on the couch. They planned to have pizza delivered later.

Olivia nestled herself under Ed's arm. "So you survived Dave and Busters?"

"Yeah, actually, it wasn't that bad. Here, look," Ed gave her his phone and she flipped through pictures of Noah at the controls of various video games. In one, he was perched on a motorcycle.

"He looks too comfortable on that," she commented.

"Don't worry. Wasn't his favorite."

"What was?"

"Anything with a steering wheel, but after he found skee ball we couldn't get him away from it."

"He could throw the ball?"

"With help. Then Jeff bet me a beer he could beat me two out of three, so he was cheering for us."

"I'm glad you had fun. I felt bad about the rain."

Ed ran his fingers up and down her arm, "Don't. How was the shower?"

"We had a nice time. Their staff handled most of it, but you should have seen us trying to keep a log of all the gifts. I'm sure we made several mistakes."

"Did she like monogram madness?" Ed obviously did not share nor did he understand Sarah's obsession, but Olivia and Brooke's enthusiasm amused him.

"Of course."

"Did my mother behave?"

"She did."

"Was Angela there?"

"She was, and she congratulated me."

"For what?"

Olivia held up her left hand. _Hello, Ed? Remember? You asked me to marry you?_

"We were across the room from one another the whole time, and on her way out she said goodbye to Brooke and congratulations to me." Olivia decided to leave out the snide comment.

"How did she know?"

"She apparently overheard Sarah talking about it with her friends."

"That girl…"

"She's so cute."

"Yeah. Acting like a little kid and she's getting married herself. In four weeks."

"She's just happy her Daddy's happy."

"I know." He played with the ring on her finger, turning it around and around. "You sure you like it?"

"I love it. Absolutely gorgeous. It's exactly what I would've picked."

"Noah was with me when I first saw it. I went back without him to buy it."

Olivia giggled. "Thought he would ruin the surprise?"

Noah innocently looked up at them from where he was rummaging through his toy box.

"He's not the best at keeping secrets yet."

"No…he's not…he told me all about the cake and ice cream you eat together."

"Yeah, well, cake is one thing. A ring? I had to be careful. At least I wasn't living here yet and I could hide it at the other place."

Olivia did some calculations in her head. They'd been living together since July. It was now almost November. "Ed?"

"Hmmm?"

"How long have you had the ring?"

"Since right before I got my job back."

She sat up and faced him. "Since _March_?"

"Yes."

"Why didn't you ask me then?"

"It wasn't the right time. We were a mess. Not _we_ , but—"

"I get it."

"I thought it was the perfect ring, so I figured I'd get it just in case. I knew I would have to wait. I didn't want you to always connect getting married with the two of us being forced out of our jobs."

"Wow."

"What?"

Olivia blinked back more tears, "You're always so thoughtful. I love that about you."

He shyly turned away from her for a moment, but then met her eyes again. "You know what?" He leaned over to her for a kiss, pulled away slightly, then whispered, "I've loved you for longer than you think."

"Thank you for giving me time…to get used to…this."

"I can be very patient when it's something I want so badly."

"You have it now."

" _We_ have it now," he corrected.

Olivia massaged his shoulders and then took his face in both her hands and kissed him hard on the lips. "Yes we do."

"So, pizza and a movie tonight?" Ed asked.

"That's the plan. Do you want me to order the food now?" He nodded and she began flipping through her phone. She kept her eyes on the screen and asked, "Do you want to try and get through _Mr. Holmes_?"

Ed's face flushed and he grinned, "Yeah, yeah, I _like_ that movie," he murmured, "Really good film. _Real-ly_ good."

Olivia gave him another quick kiss, locked her eyes seductively on him, put the phone to her ear and ordered dinner.

…..

 **#Tuckson**

 **Next up: Noah's birthday party and Sarah's wedding!**

 **Thank you for reading!**


	14. Chapter 14

**Assurances**

Chaos.

Ed, Olivia, and Rollins observed Noah and his birthday party guests gambol about the indoor playground. The kids' shrieks and shouts echoed throughout the cavernous facility. The cacophony made it difficult for the adults to communicate, so they mostly just smiled and nodded at one another or occasionally pointed to the action. The noise coupled with the primary color palette created a dizzying toddler paradise. Little Jessie crawled around nearby. Olivia knew she was too young to enjoy the slides, ball pit, and kid-sized zip line, but she thought Amanda would appreciate the gesture and she hadn't figured Ed would come or stay long. Despite wholeheartedly jumping into the world of being a mother, Olivia struggled to fit in to the typical mom crowd, not that she tried very hard. With Amanda there, she could avoid the dreaded small talk.

Olivia had not planned to host a kid-centric party, but Noah had been invited to his share of birthday celebrations through day care, so she decided to reciprocate. Brooke found out about this particular facility and eagerly suggested it, "They do everything—games, cake, all of the organizing. You just basically show up. With a credit card, of course."

Sold.

The morning began with Noah throwing a rare tantrum related to his attire. When Ed returned to work after his own birthday celebration, as promised, he wore the blue and green striped tie and the new tie bar. Noah beamed at him and announced he too wanted to wear a tie. Ed found an old one and tied it in a loose knot so Noah could easily and safely slip it over his head.

"Clip? Daddy, need the clip." He also asked for the badge, but Ed shook his head. "Sorry, bud, I need to take that with me."

Tucker found an extra clasp and slid it on the tie. Olivia was able to take it off later that day at day care by explaining that it would get dirty with all the paint, crayons, and snacks. "We want it to stay nice. Daddy's tie always stays nice and clean." She hung it carefully on the hook with his coat.

Today, Noah hadn't relented as easily. When it was time to bundle up and leave, he clutched the tie possessively.

"I wear tie to birdday."

"No, you can't wear it there. Not on playgrounds," Olivia explained gently.

"I WEAR TIE TO BIRDDAY!"

"Noah, look," Olivia pointed to Ed, "Daddy's not wearing a tie today. We don't wear ties to play."

"And we don't wear them on Saturdays," Ed added playfully since it was not yet a full-blown toddler meltdown.

"NOOOOO I WANT TO WEAR TIE!" Noah burst into tears and wrapped the tie in a two-handed death grip.

Olivia threw up her hands and walked away. Her strategy for dealing with these occasional outbursts was to not deal with them.

Ed, more sensitive to Noah's plight because he, after all, had given him the tie in the first place, went over, picked him up, and tried to soothe him. "Hey, bud, c'mon. Calm down." He cradled Noah tightly and swayed him back and forth while Noah choked out more sobs.

He attempted to reason with him again. "No ties, today, buddy. We're not police today."

More sobs. Ed felt the warm tears on his neck.

"Hey, we gotta calm down and go to the party or we'll miss the cake and presents and all your friends." Ed caught sight of Bernie on the couch and proposed a compromise, "How 'bout we put the tie on Bernie so he can wear it for a little while? He'll keep it safe until we get back."

Noah perked up a little and attempted to start breathing normally. Ed grabbed a tissue and wiped his nose.

There was a knock at the door.

"Who's that?" Ed asked mysteriously.

"Bwookey?" Noah guessed.

Tucker opened the door to a smiling Brooke, and, to his surprise, an equally jubilant Sarah. They both held presents wrapped in Thomas paper.

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY!"

Tantrum officially over, Ed put Noah down and he hugged the girls' legs.

"What are you doing here, Sare?"

"I didn't want to miss the fun. Nice to see you, too," she added sarcastically.

Brooke cast a glance at Olivia which suggested there was more to the impromptu visit, but, whatever it was would have to be hashed out later.

"Do you want me to bring the presents to the party?" Brooke asked. She would miss the first part of the celebration in order to set up the Brio train set Ed and Olivia bought Noah.

"Leave them here," Olivia answered, "We'll open our presents afterwards."

The party was in its second and final hour when Brooke and Sarah finally showed up.

"You get it set up ok?" Ed asked.

Brooke's frustration was apparent on her face and in her voice, "Yes, but _damn_ , there were a lot of pieces."

"You had to get the _deluxe_ set," Sarah added knowingly.

"Of course," Ed replied.

Andy and Garrett, the staff members assigned to the Benson party, clapped their hands to get the kids' attention. "Ok, everyone, come, gather around the birthday boy's throne so we can sing!"

Andy put a gold crown with plush felt lining on Noah's head and placed him on an ornate chair upholstered with red velvet. The kids crowded around.

"Ok, everybody," Garrett announced, "Here we go! One, two, three!"

Sarah and Brooke ran over to participate and Olivia snapped pictures of an overwhelmed yet thrilled Noah. As the song concluded, Andy brought out the cake with a candle in the shape of a "3" in the middle.

"Stand back, kids, as I light his highness' candle!" Garrett produced a long rod lighter decorated to resemble a torch and lit the "3" in exaggerated fashion.

"King Noah, close your eyes and make a wish!"

Noah squeezed his eyes shut.

"And, open!"

He opened them.

"Now, blow out the candle, and your wish will come true!"

Noah blew out the candle and cheers and applause ensued. Overcome with emotion, Sarah ran to Noah, hugged him tightly, and kissed his cheek multiple times. "You did such a good job Noey-pooh!"

Olivia used the moment of separation to whisper to Brooke. "She ok?"

"No."

"We'll take her out later?"

Brooke pursed her lips and nodded.

After the cake was served and eaten, Garrett and Andy stacked presents next to Noah's throne. He proved to be an expert at tearing through wrapping paper and ribbon. Olivia and Ed stood by his side collecting the new toys and prompting Noah to say thank you to each person after he opened his or her gift. They would definitely need two trips to cart the new trucks, trains, puzzles, and books to the car.

"Ok, everyone!" Garrett said grandly after Noah had opened all presents, "Now we must store the Official Birthday Crown for the next King or Queen, but we will give King Noah a replica to take with him."

Andy handed Olivia a lighter and less lavish version of the birthday crown.

Garrett instructed the kids to wish Noah one more collective "happy birthday" and they boisterously shouted.

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY, NOAH!"

Olivia and Ed thanked and said gracious goodbyes to the other parents as they left with their exhausted and sticky toddlers.

…..

Sarah and Brooke made sure to engage Noah in conversation during the drive home so he wouldn't fall asleep and miss the big train set reveal. They let him walk in the apartment first. Eventually the train table would move elsewhere, but for now it was at the end of the entryway and impossible to miss.

Noah froze and turned back to the adults.

"What is it, Noah?" Olivia prodded him.

"Thomas train," his voice was nearly a whisper.

"Go check it out, bud."

Following Ed's direction, Noah, awestruck, walked slowly around the table examining every inch of the track.

"Thomas train," he whispered again, reached out and picked up the specially-ordered Thomas the Tank Engine car. He put it back on the track and cautiously rolled it a few inches, and then surveyed everything again.

"Bridge. Tunnel. Red train. Yellow train." He became increasingly more animated and made choo-choo sounds as he pushed the Thomas car faster and faster around the track. "Now go through the tunnel!" He giggled and jumped up and down at his engineering when the car appeared on the other side. "Thomas train! Thomas train! I love Thomas train!"

"Happy birthday, sweet boy," Olivia kissed him on the head.

"Oh, but there's more!" Sarah exclaimed and grabbed the boxes she and Brooke brought. "C'mon Noey, let's open these!"

Knowing Ed and Olivia purchased the train, Brooke and Sarah bought him additional pieces as well as a Thomas hooded sweatshirt and two train-themed books.

"What do you say to Sarah and Brooke?"

Noah said "thank-you" and hugged each of Ed's daughters.

"Kisses," Sarah requested and stuck out her face for Noah to kiss her cheek. "Give me some sugar, little man."

Ed had disappeared into the bedroom and came back with one final present. Olivia looked at him curiously; the contents were unknown to her.

"I almost forgot, bud," Ed said, "I got you one other thing."

Delighted at the chance to open another gift, Noah excitedly accepted the box and easily tore off the wrapping paper. Olivia helped him remove the top, and for the second time that day, a stunned expression appeared on Noah's face. Olivia, too, was speechless.

The gift, a child-size replica of an NYPD Captain's badge, sparkled in the light of the room. Ed had even found a small case with a clip so Noah could affix it to his waistband if he wanted. The only difference other than the size was that instead of _Captain_ , Noah's name was emblazoned in gold lettering at the bottom edge of the shield.

Ed pointed that detail out to Noah, "You see what it says, bud?"

Noah pointed to himself. "This Noah's badge. Noah's police badge." He took it out of the box and Olivia helped him clip it on his pants. "I police!" He ran in circles around the coffee table. "Noah police!" He stopped in front of Brooke and then in front of Sarah so they could admire his new accoutrement.

"Wow, Noah, your very own shield! That is so cool!" Brooke gushed.

Sarah threw up her hands, "Dad wins gift giving. Best gift ever. We will never ever top this as long as we live."

Olivia rubbed Ed's back, kissed him on the cheek, and whispered "you are so great" in his ear. He was pretty proud of himself and it showed on his face as he watched Noah run around shouting "I police."

Suddenly, he stopped in his tracks, remembering something.

"I need the tie. Mommy? Where's the tie?"

Olivia retrieved the tie from Bernie's neck and handed it to Noah. Both Sarah and Brooke snapped pictures.

"Dad, go put your work clothes on so we can get a twin shot," Sarah requested.

He looked at Sarah. _Seriously_?

"How 'bout we do that someday when I actually have to go to work?"

"Fine."

Olivia tapped Ed on the leg, "Hey, let's get the rest of his things from the car so we can move it from the loading zone."

Tucker didn't look particularly interested in the suggestion. "We're the police."

She widened her eyes, " _Come on, let's go_."

Now he got the message. There was something else going on that required them to be alone.

When they were safely in the elevator, Ed backed Olivia up against the wall and started kissing her neck. "What's so urgent?" He rasped. She indulged him for a few seconds, but then gently pushed him away. The consternation in her eyes worried him.

"Something's up with Sarah."

He scrunched up his face, concerned, "I knew it was weird that she showed up."

"Well, Brooke didn't tell me exactly what the problem is, but she wants to take Sarah out for drinks. Do you mind?"

"Not at all." He took a deep breath, let it out, and speculated, "The wedding?"

"It must be."

"Go ahead."

"I won't be long."

"Take your time."

…..

The Lieutenant and her two future stepdaughters huddled at the corner of the bar. Sarah was in the middle and she sat with her face in her hands, nearly in tears. She put on a happy face for the birthday celebration, but her will to sustain the façade was now completely gone.

"Sare, put your hands down, we can't hear you," Brooke commanded in a big sisterly tone. Sarah was trying to hide her downcast, panicked expression. "What did you just say?"

"I _said_ , it all started when I was thinking about taxes."

Olivia and Brooke locked eyes, silently agreeing Sarah's comment was a bit on the bizarre side. Then again, she was an accountant.

"Are you worried about money?" Brooke asked.

Sarah brushed off the question, "No silly."

"Then what?" Olivia gently prodded.

Sarah took a long drink from her vodka tonic and delved morosely into her explanation, "I just realized, next year Jeff and I will file taxes jointly. We'll be looking for a house to buy. Then we'll have a kid. It's like, all of this has been _so much fun_. Parties, showers, planning. All. For. One. Day. Now it's real. In two weeks I will be _married_. It'll be over in like an hour. All of this for an hour."

"Don't you want to be married?"

Sarah glared at Brooke, "Of course, or I wouldn't have said yes."

"I don't get it."

Sarah threw her head back dramatically and huffed, "My life. Is over."

Olivia patted her on the back. She wasn't sure how to respond; however, she tried anyway. "Why do you feel like it's over?"

"The truth is. I am very selfish. I like being able to do what I want when I want. That's over. We get married. Then we have kids. I'm giving up all of my independence at the age of twenty-five!"

Brooke asked about whether or not she and Jeff had discussed children and Sarah gave herself a dirty look in the mirror behind the bar. "Yes. He wants kids soon. Like in a year. And I don't."

"Did you tell him that?" Olivia interjected.

"Of course."

"And?"

Sarah shrugged, "He didn't act like he cared _that_ much. I told him kids in five years and he said 'that's a long time' and then he said 'how about two' and I said, 'we'll talk about it in two years' and then we got interrupted or something. I don't remember how it ended, but it didn't really end."

"Sarah," Olivia said softly, "That should get resolved sooner rather than later."

"But at least you both agree you _want_ kids." Brooke added optimistically.

"That's the thing," Sarah whined, "I think I'm saying I want kids because that's what's supposed to happen. Get married. Buy a house. Have a kid. Then probably move to the fucking suburbs which I swore I would never ever do in my _life_." She held up her hands helplessly, "Me? In the _suburbs_?" She turned to Olivia and clasped her arm so tightly Olivia could feel her nails starting to dig into the skin, "Oliva," she said desperately, "You're getting married for the first time, and you're so happy. And I'm questioning everything. I don't know what is going on with me." Sarah, frustrated, returned her face to her hands.

"Sarah, I don't think it's a good idea to compare us like that."

Her face was still buried, so her voice was muffled. "Why not?"

"Because we're in two very different places in our lives, but I know how it is to feel very strongly that you want…all of it."

"Were you close to being married before?"

"I was. But for the wrong reasons. It was to escape, and it would have been a mistake. That was a very long time ago. And then, the guy I was living with a few years ago, I thought he might be the one I would spend the rest of my life with. But in the back of my mind, I knew he wasn't marrying material. My heart…told me it was temporary."

"My heart…" Sarah trailed off without finishing.

"You're probably just exhausted," Brooke surmised. "You've been going nonstop since this summer. Back and forth between home and here. All of this wedding prep…it's killing you."

"Maybe." Sarah turned back to Olivia. "Why do you want to marry my Dad?"

She posed the question so innocently that Olivia, rather than being taken aback by such a blunt inquiry expressed total compassion for the struggling bride-to-be, "Honestly, for the first time, I feel like I have a true partner. We're a team. I feel safe and comfortable," Olivia smiled contemplatively, "I can't imagine my life without him."

Sarah slapped the table, "Now that's a beautiful answer. I don't know if I can answer that question. I love Jeff. I've never loved anyone like I love Jeff. Is that enough?"

Brooke looked at Sarah skeptically, "Enough?"

"Sarah," Olivia said, "You're not being fair to yourself by trying to quantify _feelings_. Brooke's right. You've been running nonstop since you got engaged. Everything is set and planned now. Maybe it's time for you to just step back and relax."

Brooke agreed, "Seriously. All you have to do is show up."

Sarah simultaneously side-hugged Brooke and Olivia, "I love you guys," she cooed.

…

Ed gazed sleepily at Olivia when she returned later in the evening. All energy spent, he lay sprawled on the couch using a blanket for a pillow, his feet propped on the opposite armrest. The television was tuned to ESPN, and he stared at the screen but wasn't paying close attention to the game.

"Hey," she greeted him sweetly. "You look exhausted."

"I am." He cupped her hip to pull her closer and she leaned down to kiss him. "Take your coat off," he demanded impatiently, "and _get over here_." He backed himself into the cushions to create space for her.

She smelled like autumn, and when she kissed him again he tasted the bourbon, or maybe it was the Irish whiskey she sometimes ordered.

"I missed you," he sort-of whined, nuzzling her neck and embracing her tightly with one arm across her waist.

"I missed you."

"What's going on with Sarah?"

"I think it's just last-minute nerves." Olivia went on and summarized their talk, skipping the part about Sarah asking her why she wanted to marry Ed.

Tucker was sympathetic but pragmatic. "If she feels like something's not right, she shouldn't go through with it. I don't want her to be miserable. But if she doesn't want to grow up, well, she needs to get over that."

"Growing up doesn't have to include marriage," Olivia pointed out.

"That's not what I meant. But if she's worried about always doing what _she_ wants to do…that's, that's, _immature_."

"I understand where she's coming from though."

Ed took this statement the wrong way as if Olivia was having the same reservations. "You _do_?" He strained to meet her eyes.

She immediately explained, "No, no, this has nothing to do with us. It's different when you're young. You don't know what to expect…or even what you want exactly." Ed was pensive and silent. "She wanted assurance."

"That's not going to happen," he muttered.

"I think I made that point."

"Good," he said with finality, "if you think she's ok, then I trust you. And, Liv?"

She craned her neck around. "Hmm?"

"Thank you."

She grinned. "My pleasure."

He kissed her forehead.

"Speaking of thanks. I probably owe you one," she said, "I'm guessing Noah was a terror tonight without a nap?"

"He was fine until after he took a bath. He wanted the Thomas pajamas and I couldn't find them. Then he wanted to wear the tie."

Olivia laughed.

"I know, I know. It's my fault."

"It's precious."

"If you say so. Anyway, come on and look at him. You can't see it on the iPad."

"See what?"

"Just come with me."

Ed led her to the small bedroom, it was actually originally a den, and they tiptoed in to see Noah, illuminated by a penguin night light. He had one arm draped around Bernie and the other arm possessively holding something close to his body. Olivia leaned down and peered at the object.

The badge.

Ed stood behind her, massaging her shoulders, as they both gazed dotingly at the sleeping three-year-old. "He wouldn't give up the shield," Ed whispered, "I tried to get him to put it with mine. He wasn't going for it. So we traded shield for tie." He nodded over to Noah's dresser where the tie hung on a knob.

"That was the perfect gift."

"I ordered it weeks ago; it _just_ came in."

"You're full of surprises lately."

"Anything to make you happy."

"You have no idea."

Tucker had a hard time being in such close proximity to his fiancée without kissing her or allowing his hands to wander. He pecked at her neck and felt her ease into him. "Ready for bed?" He asked playfully.

"I've been thinking about it all day."

…..

Birthday party, toddler-wrangling, cocktails, stepmother-to-be counseling—the day was emotionally and physically draining and Olivia wondered where Tucker found the extra stamina to so aggressively have sex with her. Outside, the early November air took on a winter chill but Ed and Olivia glistened with perspiration as they engaged in a protracted post-coital kiss while still tangled with one another and with one of the sheets. Bothered by the stray cover, Ed kicked it off. He wanted absolutely nothing between his body and Benson's.

"What are we doing tomorrow?" He spoke as he kissed her, loving the idea of Olivia keeping track of their calendar.

"Brooke and Sarah mentioned meeting us for breakfast."

"A _late_ breakfast," he insisted. Ed then fumbled for her hand and felt the ring.

"What are you doing?"

"Checking."

"I take it off when I sleep, you know."

"When are we getting married?"

"I thought we agreed later this winter or in January?"

"We did. But I would do it tomorrow." He kissed her more deeply for a few seconds, just to emphasize his point.

Olivia realized he probably had the wedding band hidden in the apartment somewhere.

 _I need to shop for his._

It had completely slipped her mind.

"Sarah asked me today why I wanted to marry you."

"What'd you say?"

"That I couldn't imagine my life without you."

"I should've met you first."

"Don't think that way."

"Ah, you would've hated me anyway," he pouted.

"Probably," she teased back.

"I think you've forgiven me," he predicted confidently.

"I don't even think about it anymore."

He was still draped over her and he brushed back a few damp strands of her brown hair, "You're gorgeous."

"You're all over the place."

"You make me crazy."

"A little crazy is good."

"So, let's get married tomorrow."

Olivia tried to smile, but he was still kissing her. "It's Sunday," she managed to say.

"Fine."

"So, we'll have the _late breakfast_ and then just be lazy."

"Or," Ed suggested brightly, "We can take IAB's newest junior investigator out to catch some dirty cops."

"Great," Olivia said sarcastically, kissing him back, "Just _great_."


	15. Chapter 15

**Wedding Day**

On the advice of her sister and her soon-to-be stepmother, Sarah returned to Philadelphia and got some rest. The three of them remained in constant contact until Sarah and Jeff returned to New York three days before the wedding.

"I didn't realize I was so burned out," Sarah told them over another, more lighthearted, girls' night out. Two weeks' worth of rest left her refreshed and confident she was making the right decision and she was looking forward to being married, enjoying a week in the Virgin Islands, and then getting on with life as usual.

"I never thought I would _want_ to be bored," she explained.

The rehearsal dinner went off without a hitch, Noah practiced his ring bearer duties daily, and the last-minute dress and tux fittings had been conducted.

The wedding was on.

…

"Lieutenant?"

Olivia looked up from her computer. Rollins stood in the doorway. With her was a mousy middle-aged woman whose glasses were too large for her narrow face. Her gray hair was pulled back into a tightly wound bun making her angular features seem even more severe.

Rollins introduced her, "This is Mrs. Miller from Overton Academy. She has something you may want to see."

Olivia invited them to come in, but she was not pleased. It was late on a Friday, so if the case required interviewing school-aged children, tracking them down would be tedious and time consuming. Mrs. Miller handed her a manila folder. Inside was a piece of artwork.

"It was drawn by one of our second graders," she said.

Olivia raised her eyebrows. Using colored pencils, the child had drawn a person lying prone. Another person stood over the body, clearly in a sexual position and was depicted as wielding either a club or a baseball bat.

"Did the student describe the picture?"

"No, but the assignment was part of a project about important people in the children's lives."

"Who is the student?"

"Julian Willis." Just as Olivia was about to ask for the boy's address, Mrs. Miller handed over his school registration forms with all the pertinent information.

Suddenly, a commotion in the squad room distracted them. Fin and Carisi were doubled over in laughter along with Brooke who had done Olivia a huge favor by picking Noah up from day care. Only a few seconds passed before the cause of the laughter was revealed. Olivia heard Noah's voice which grew grow louder and louder with each uttered phrase.

"I have badge!"

"Noah police!"

"See my badge?"

"Badge for police!"

"Bad guys all gone!"

For an elementary school employee, Mrs. Miller seemed oddly displeased by the hubbub and she petulantly stepped aside when Noah darted into the office and into his mother's arms.

"Hi baby boy!" Olivia said brightly. She apologized to Mrs. Miller, "We hit a snag with child care today, I'm sorry." She put Noah on the couch with the iPad and asked Rollins to take the drawing and Fin to the Willis house to follow up.

"Hey, Olivia, I feel bad I can't take him, but I need to be back at school." Brooke was still dressed in her school polo and khakis; she was due to chaperone the night's Fall Harvest Dance.

"Oh, don't worry about that. I appreciate your help."

"Dad's working late, too?"

"Yes," she sighed, "he had to go out to Long Island, actually."

"Yuck."

"Hey, Lieu?" Carisi popped his head in, "I can hold down the fort if you need to get home."

"It's ok, Carisi, he's fine here for a while." She noticed him eyeing Brooke. "I think you two have met, right?"

Brooke stepped toward him with an outstretched hand, "We have, a while ago, I think in the spring."

Carisi thought. "Yeah, yeah, the day you came in with your sister."

"Right."

"Are you the one getting married?"

"No, that's Sarah."

"And you're…" Carisi furrowed his brow, trying to recall her name.

"Brooke." She grinned at him.

"Sonny."

The detective and the Captain's daughter stared at one another as Olivia looked on, and the music from Noah's game filled the uncomfortable silence.

Brooke zipped her coat. "Well, I need to get going. See you in the morning, Liv."

"What are Sarah and Jeff doing tonight?"

"They're both going out with their friends and hopefully not staying out too late!"

Carisi raised his eyebrows, "The wedding's tomorrow?"

"Yep," Olivia answered, "So Fin's in charge. I think I mentioned that?"

"Yeah, yeah," Carisi muttered absent-mindedly, "Just forgot. Well, have fun, ladies!"

"Will do," Brooke said and gave a little wave. "See ya!"

Carisi remained in the office and remarked, "Seems like a nice stepdaughter."

"They're both great," Olivia said sweetly but then scrunched up her face, " _Stepdaughter_. _Stepmother_. Sounds weird. They're too old for that."

"Well, whatever you call each other it's nice that you get along."

"It certainly is."

Carisi nodded towards Noah, "Captain Tucker coming to pick him up?"

"Probably not. I'm staying until Rollins and Fin get back and then I'll go home."

"I love his tie and shield."

Olivia grinned and rolled her eyes good-naturedly, "So does _he_. A little too much."

…..

Ed tried to be as quiet as possible when he entered. He carefully locked the door behind him, hung his coat, and placed his keys on the side table. It wasn't very late, but the living room was empty and dark save for the dim light of one of the decorative lamps. He groped around for the cord, found the switch, and turned it off.

Olivia was in bed but awake and flipping through her iPad. She tossed it aside and reached out for Ed. "You're home!"

He removed his Glock and collapsed onto the bed, "Of all the nights to have to work late," he grumbled.

"Everything go ok?"

"No," he replied bluntly. "Everyone's covering for everyone."

Olivia flipped on her side so she could rub the back of his neck. "You'll figure it out."

"Hopefully Cole will this weekend."

"Captain Tucker shirking duties?" Olivia teased.

"Hey, I have to give a daughter away tomorrow."

She continued kneading his neck. "Awww."

"Are you sure she's gonna go through with it?"

"Yes," Olivia replied confidently, "she was just tired. Now, after the honeymoon of course, she told us she's looking forward to being bored."

"All of this so she can be bored." He looked up at her. "Is that what we want?"

"I think, to a certain extent, it is. Right?"

"It doesn't sound good."

"I'm sure she meant she's looking forward to living life normally again. This has been fun and all, but it's exhausting."

"When you put it that way…" Ed still didn't seem convinced.

"There's a difference between being bored and being _boring_."

"Really," he replied impassively.

"Sure. I like knowing that I get to come home to you. Boring. But important."

Ed was face down on a pillow but he reached over and put a hand over Olivia's thigh. He mentally replayed as many of their sexual encounters as he could remember starting with the most recent which had been earlier that morning before sunrise. "Good point," he said into the pillow and slid his hand between her legs. "You know I always think about you during the day?"

"I think about you, too."

"About what?"

Olivia furrowed her brow. He seemed to be in a needy type of mood but maybe it was because, as he said, he was giving away a daughter tomorrow. "You just pop up. No particular reason. And, of course, the ring." She could see him break into a smile. "And you?"

"Me?"

"What do you think about?"

"Sex." His answer caused restrained laughter on both their parts.

"At least you're honest."

"Seriously? You _don't_ think about it?"

"Not all the time."

"So, you do."

"Apparently not as often as you."

"Lieutenant, you're not answering the question. I am _investigating_ , here."

"Ok, I do."

"How often?"

She playfully slapped his back, " _Ed_ …"

His body shook with more laughter. "Don't be embarrassed. And I can tell if you're lying."

"Well, I thought about it today because of this morning."

He moaned pleasantly, "I couldn't get it outta my head. Do you have any idea how difficult it is to be a hard ass with _that_ in my mind?"

Olivia thought about how she had to put a pillow over her head to mute her shrieks, "Extremely difficult, I would imagine. How _do_ you do it?"

"I pretend the guy, in addition to being dirty, is also trying to steal you."

Olivia threw her head back, entertained by the ridiculousness. She knew what it was like to sit across from stiff-jawed IAB Ed and the thought of him attempting to suppress amorous mental images of them making love while interrogating a rogue cop was amusing to say the least.

"That sounds," she paused, searching for the right word, "excruciating."

"It is. I need sympathy."

"That all?"

"And you. Take off your clothes."

"I will, but are you just going to lie there?"

"When have I ever done that?"

Olivia thought. "Never." She tossed her shirt aside, coaxed Ed onto his back, and straddled him. She unknotted his tie and it made a _whoosh_ as she slid it from his neck. Ed ran his hands over her bare back while she methodically unbuttoned his shirt.

" _Hurry_ ," he urged as she unhooked his shield and then removed his belt.

"You have a lot…on."

"So do you."

Olivia kicked off her pajama pants so she was down to a simple pair of black cotton panties.

"Better?"

Temporarily satisfied, Ed folded his hands behind his head and closed his eyes as Benson finished undressing him. "This is nice," he murmured, keeping his eyes closed but still wearing his familiar smirk. Olivia slowly kissed his chiseled abdominals, pausing between each kiss to see if he reacted at all. "Mmmmmmmmm."

She could feel him growing hard and starting to slowly grind his hips against her. She gasped, " _Tucker_."

"When you call me that it makes me think—"

Olivia kissed him. "Think what?"

"Of—"

She kissed him again.

"Are you going to let me talk?"

She cast him a sultry expression and continued kissing him, moving from his neck and then down his chest.

"Do what you want," she mumbled.

He felt her hair fall across his pelvis and he groaned with pleasure, reconsidering what he'd just said.

Maybe he _would_ just lie there.

….

The wedding was scheduled for sunset, so the morning passed lazily. Olivia fed Noah a waffle and strawberries for breakfast and then walked him through ring bearer practice a few more times. Detail-conscious, he requested to wear his tuxedo to practice but Olivia refused. No tantrum, but he did pout a little.

"You're going to do a great job, little man," she praised him.

"I give the ring to Luke." Luke was Jeff's Best Man.

"Yep."

Prepared for his big moment, Noah skipped off to play with his train set.

Next, her attention turned to Ed who was having trouble composing his toast. He sat at the island staring at a blank piece of stationery and spinning a pen between his thumb and forefinger. His frustration existed on two levels. First, he'd already given a toast at the engagement party so he didn't feel a second was necessary. Second, he felt like he used the good speech at that party, and he was struggling for new material. Since he'd been procrastinating on writing the speech, Olivia was devoid of sympathy, but she did casually stroke the back of his neck when she passed by.

"Will you write this for me?"

"No," she replied, a hint of sass in her voice.

"This is remarkably unfair. What exactly does the mother of the bride do?"

"Tells Sarah she's beautiful and adjusts her veil before you walk her down the aisle."

"Unbelievable," he muttered.

Olivia left him alone and went to remove the dry cleaning plastic from their wedding attire. She smiled at Noah's tux and shiny black wingtips, miniatures of the adult versions. Olivia studied her dress, a cap-sleeved silver and black sequined gown. She originally thought it was a tad over-the-top, but Brooke and Sarah convinced her it was gorgeous and when they saw it on, the girls demanded she make the purchase.

Sarah, in her typically bubbly fashion, had raved, "Omigod, omigod, omigod, it's _HOT_."

Brooke nodded her approval, "She's right. It's _perrrfect_."

"Dad is gonna be all over you," Sarah predicted matter-of-factly.

Olivia blushed and shyly stared herself in the full-length mirror.

Ed paid zero attention to the new purchase which had been hanging in the crowded closet for a month, so Olivia was excited to see his reaction.

"Liv?"

She went out to see Ed still at the island, only now, he peered at the iPad.

"Yeah?"

"They have speech templates online."

She made no effort to hide her disapproval, " _Ed_ …"

He backtracked, "I'm just getting inspiration."

She glanced at the stove clock. "We're leaving in three hours."

"Kiss me." _God, he was a master at avoiding the subject._

She gave him a quick peck on the lips. "That help?"

"Always."

She gently turned his head back to the paper and he obediently went to work.

….

Brooke and Olivia fussed over Sarah's lacy ball gown, curly up-do, and subtle birdcage veil held in place with a crystal and pearl comb. Sarah had only recently decided on the dress and she examined herself critically in the mirror.

"Do you think I chose the right one?"

Brooke stood behind her. Even though the dress was something she would never wear, it fit Sarah's feminine and flirty style perfectly and she told her so. For the third time that day, Olivia had to wipe tears of joy from her eyes and dab at her makeup.

She first cried when Noah came scampering out after Ed dressed him in his formal wear. The tux and the shoes made him seem older, but Ed had also combed his hair to the side using product so he also had a sleek, classic movie-star look. Then, when Ed emerged and caught sight of his fiancée, his jaw dropped. Her hair was pulled back except for two neat, curly strands which she allowed to fall along the outline of her face. She wore smoky gray makeup which electrified her eyes and her lipstick, a deep burgundy, lit up her face. Ed had trouble catching his breath and he forced out a Sarah-esque, "Omigod."

"What?" She asked innocently.

"I'm not even gonna try to describe you right now." Poor Ed. The guy had been battling to put words on paper all day and, having conquered that bugaboo, he now grappled for appropriate adjectives. "Everyone will be staring at you."

"Everyone will be staring at _Sarah_."

He shook his head and continued to gape at her.

" _Stop!_ "

He chuckled in a bewildered sort of way as if he couldn't quite believe this person was for him. Olivia sensed Ed's flattering subliminal thought and fought back tears as she put in her earrings.

They came anyway.

"Olivia, are you ok?"

Brooke's voice snapped her back to attention.

"Yes, yes…Sarah, I've never seen a more beautiful bride."

"Me neither." The voice was Ed's.

"Daddy!"

Ed seemed larger than life in his tux. "Ready?"

Olivia and Brooke left. Brooke joined the bridesmaids and Olivia checked on Noah before taking her seat. Ed held Sarah's hands and gazed at her.

"You're beautiful, sweetheart."

"Thank you, Daddy. And thank you for all of this—the party, the shower…and for, well," Sarah choked up, "being such an awesome dad for all these years." She hugged him tightly, "I love you."

"I love you, too."

"Ok," Sarah inhaled deeply. "Let's do this."

….

Pier Sixty's wedding venue featured floor-to-ceiling windows which overlooked the Hudson River and the Jersey City skyline. As the sun set, it cast a purplish hue over the space creating an intimate, romantic ambiance. With this view and lighting, further decorations were unnecessary, but Brooke had ornamented the aisles with pedestal candles anyway. Olivia sat in a row with Ed's mother, Margie, and Margie's three children. The seat closest to the aisle was reserved for Ed.

As Pachelbel's Canon played, the wedding party proceeded down the aisle. Angela entered first with her husband; the groomsmen and bridesmaids followed. Brooke, as maid of honor, was next and then came Noah and the flower girl, a six-year-old relative of Jeff's who held a bouquet in one hand and attempted to grab Noah's hand with the other. Noah, however, eschewed the assistance and instead strode confidently, chin up, staring straight ahead. He took his place between Jeff and the Best Man who patted Noah on the back and whispered something to him. The little gesture filled Olivia with gratitude. These young adults were always so kind to her son.

Finally, Sarah and Ed entered. Sarah smiled broadly and she sought out and tacitly acknowledged familiar faces. Ed wore a proud smirk and kissed Sarah's cheek as he handed her off to Jeff. At that point, the Best Man took the ring and Ed led Noah to their seats. Olivia sat him in her lap.

"I gived the ring to Luke, mama," Noah said aloud causing those around them to giggle sweetly at the adorableness.

"I saw, baby. You did a great job."

Ed held Olivia's hand as the officiant welcomed the guests and began the ceremony.

…..

After new couple was introduced as the newest Mr. and Mrs. Matthews the entire wedding party posed for what seemed like a ceaseless array of photographs. Ed with Sarah. Ed with Sarah and Jeff. Ed and Angela with Sarah. Olivia and Ed with Noah and Sarah. The combinations continued until, finally, the photographer wrapped things up. Olivia was happy to see Rollins waiting nearby; she had again generously offered to take Noah for the night even though she was on duty. Her nanny would be handling most of the childcare and she loved Noah. The three-year-old behaved superbly for the entire wedding and he smiled on command for the photographer, but he was getting cranky.

Olivia grabbed Noah's bag from one of the dressing rooms, she and Ed kissed him goodbye, and he snuggled up to Rollins as she carried him away.

"Ok, everyone! Line up for introductions! It's the big reveal!" Sarah did not hire a wedding planner, but her close work colleague became the de facto manager. The deejay played house music as he introduced Jeff's parents, Angela and Dave, Olivia and Ed, and, finally, Jeff and Sarah who had changed into a shorter, more casual dress.

The guests clapped and cheered.

"First, we will have a toast given by the Father of the Bride, Ed Tucker!"

Ed squeezed Olivia's arm and made his way to the stage. He squinted in the glare of the spotlight and cleared his throat.

"First of all, I would like to welcome all of you here, and if you live out of town, welcome to New York. Thank you for coming to help us celebrate tonight, and I hope you have some time to enjoy all the city has to offer. Trust me, it's safe."

The crowd chuckled at his subtle police joke.

"When Sarah told us she and Jeff were engaged, I wasn't sure how to feel. For those of you whose children are married, you understand. You spend your whole life as a father trying to take care of your girls and protect them the best you can and then one day they graduate from college and begin their own lives and you've prepared them so well for the real world that their transition is seamless. But for us, the Dads, it can be slightly heartbreaking. But today, I feel nothing but happiness for Sarah and for Jeff. They are perfect for one another. Jeff, most of us have trouble keeping up with Sarah—she moves around quickly, she talks too fast when she's excited (and she's often excited), her taste in food and music and clothing can fluctuate daily—and I will happily pass that burden on to you, buddy."

Laughter filled the room. Jeff cracked up but also gave the crowd a look suggesting he knew all too well what Ed was talking about.

He made a few more wisecracks and told a few embarrassing Sarah stories but became more serious as he wrapped up the toast. "Marriage can be incredibly hard work, but when you have the perfect partner, your love and respect for one another will conquer any obstacle." Ed had debated whether or not to include this sentence. He certainly did not want to snub Angela, but it was the truth and as he said it, his eyes were focused on Olivia who gazed back at him with a combination of pride and adoration. He raised his glass, "To Jeff and Sarah, may your happiness never end!"

When Ed returned to the table his entire family complimented him. Caroline winked at her son and marveled, "Wow, Eddie, I had no idea you could be so eloquent." She nudged Olivia, "He gets that from me you know. So whenever he's whispering those sweet nothings in your ear just know that's my doing."

"Right Ma," John said sarcastically.

"I'm sure Olivia wants to think about you when Eddie's—"

Tucker interrupted Margie, "Can we change the subject, please?"

"Yes!" Caroline exclaimed. "To dancing. Eddie, dance with your mother."

"Fine."

Caroline corralled Ed for two songs and returned to the table solo. "Eddie wants you over on the dance floor," she told Olivia just as the deejay transitioned from something up tempo to a ballad.

Ed held his arms out and Olivia entered his embrace, clasping her hands behind his neck. "Hi," she cooed.

"I demanded he play this song."

He sure had a way with deejays. Olivia listened carefully. It was Eric Clapton's _Wonderful Tonight_. "A favorite of yours?" She asked.

"The words…remind me of you. Of us."

She tenderly planted a kiss on his lips.

He spoke one of the lyrics as it played, "you just don't realize how much I love you."

Ed and Olivia slipped into a familiar trance in which they felt as if they were all alone despite being in a crowded place. In between kisses, they pressed their foreheads together, stared into each other's eyes, all while gently rocking back and forth to the slow pace of the music.

Sarah and Jeff were on the dance floor too. Jeff suggested they cut in and swap partners but Sarah declined. "They're too… _into_ it," she explained.

Jeff watched Ed's mouth curl into a little smile as Olivia whispered something in his ear. Tucker gripped her hips and held her against his body. Sarah was right. Under no circumstances would Jeff dare interrupt them.

When the song ended, Ed took her hand and she followed as he walked briskly towards one of the exits and out onto the actual pier. The icy air blowing in from the harbor immediately caused Olivia to shiver. Ed draped his jacket over her shoulders and pointed to a spot where they would be out of sight. They could see the illuminated Statue of Liberty in the distance. If it weren't for the frigid weather, it would be the perfect surreptitious romantic interlude.

"Ed, it's freezing."

"We won't be long."

"What are we doing out here?"

Instead of answering, he wrapped his arms around her, and pulled her in for a brief but intense make out session.

"Warmer?" He hissed into her mouth.

"Absolutely." She kissed back with equal fervor.

"This dress. Is so nice. But—" Ed had trouble finding a way to get his hands under her gown.

"Later," she promised. "We should go back in."

"Before my mother comes looking for me."

….

"Olivia!" Sarah nearly choked Benson as she came up from behind, "Are you having a good time? Didja eat? The shrimp is _sooo_ good."

"Damn, Sarah," Caroline scolded her, "Are you trying to strangle her?"

"No, I just love her." Sarah purred. She kissed Olivia's cheek and then Ed's. "And I love my Daddy."

"Is it possible to get cut off at your own wedding?" Brooke asked, totally serious.

Sarah glowered at her and asked about Noah. "Where's my Noey?"

"With the nanny for the night."

"Aww, I wanted to dance with him." She swatted Ed on the back. "Daddy, we only had one dance tonight. Come and dance with me again." She tugged on his arm and he reluctantly obliged; the current song was a little too hip-hop for him.

Brooke took Ed's seat and remarked, "She's feeling no pain."

Caroline shrugged, "Ah, I was so drunk on my wedding night I hardly remembered the consummation."

"I thought you said you didn't have a reception?" Brooke inquired critically, trying to catch her grandmother in one of her prevarications.

Unfazed, Caroline replied, "We didn't. Since when do you need a big fancy party with this God-awful music to booze it up? We had a bottle of gin and a bottle of champagne."

"You were always a gin girl?"

Caroline raised her glass, "Yes, dearie. And I had to have it on my wedding night. Back then we virgins needed liquid courage for the first time."

Brooke, flabbergasted, chuckled and covered her eyes, "Oh, Grams."

"And today," she continued, "I suppose you still need it, only it's on the first _date_ not the wedding night."

The entire table cracked up.

Caroline fished her cigarettes out of her purse. "I may be old, but I know how it is. Johnny, give me your jacket. I'll be right back."

Meanwhile, Ed endured the first song and, to his relief, a slower one came on and he stayed to dance with Sarah.

"Daddy, thank you so much. Seriously. You are so generous and this night is so perfect."

"You're welcome."

"Is Olivia having a good time?"

"Yes."

"I'm so glad you're marrying her."

"I am, too."

"Were you nervous she would say no?" Sarah's eyes were wide and genuinely curious and concerned about whether or not Olivia made her father sweat before answering.

Ed swore he already told her about the proposal, but the conversation could've been with Brooke. Sometimes he had trouble distinguishing between his two daughters. "When you don't realize you're asking, you don't have time to be nervous," he explained cryptically.

"What?"

"Totally spontaneous."

"That's so romantic."

"If you say so."

Sarah hugged him tightly and quickly, "Oh Daddy, you're so funny."

"I am?"

"Yes, you're trying to act like you're this big, serious, tough guy but," she poked his chest, "we all see through it. Olivia has melted you down into a puddle of sugary sweet love juice."

" _Love juice_?"

"You know what I mean."

He did and he gazed longingly over at Olivia who appeared to be happily engaged in conversation with Brooke and the others at their table. Sarah noticed him looking at her and released him from her grip. "I'll go get her for you."

Ed kissed her forehead. "Love you, baby."

…

The party lasted well into the early morning hours. To Ed's surprise, he and Olivia stayed until the end to cheer and hold sparklers with the others as Sarah and Jeff departed in their limousine.

Olivia nearly fell asleep against him in the taxi, but as soon as the apartment door was closed and locked behind them, they wrestled one another out of their clothes. Olivia flung his jacket towards the hall corner and Ed searched for a way into her dress.

"It's on the side," Olivia instructed, trying not to sound impatient. Ed was already shirtless. Ed found the zipper and helped her slither out of the gown. It landed in a heap.

"Do you want to hang it up?"

" _No_." She couldn't believe he even asked her that question.

Ed half-carried Olivia to the couch as they kissed. He accidentally ran her into the coffee table and apologized profusely before he collapsed them on the cushions. The sofa sex was messy and rough and when it was over, part of Olivia's makeup was on Ed, red scratch marks lined his back, and she was, again, trapped in the space between the rear and seat cushions.

"Ed, I need to _breathe_ ," she panted.

He moved ever so slightly and smirked, "Ok."

" _Move_ ," she insisted, starting to giggle.

"I did."

She glared at him with mock anger.

"Ok, ok." He gallantly lifted her out only to resume his position on top of her. "I don't want you to be cold," he explained as he rested his head on her chest. He could hear her heart pounding.

Now that her arms were free, she reached for the throw blanket and draped it over them. "What a great night," she said softly.

He spoke into her breasts. "It was. And it's not over."

"Are we moving to bed? Because, this is fun and all, but… _we have a bed_."

"I wanna stay here for a little while."

"Aren't you uncomfortable?"

"No."

"We don't even fit on here."

He looked at her naughtily, "I think we _fit_ just fine."

 _I walked right in to that one._ Ok, he wanted to talk. He always wanted to talk after sex. A lot. He rambled on and on way more so than he did in regular conversation. It was like the adrenaline rush opened his brain's verbal floodgates and he was powerless to stop the words from pouring out.

"What was your favorite part of tonight?" She asked, making small talk.

"When we went outside. And dancing with you. And when Noah said he gave the ring to Luke. Yours?"

"Seeing everyone so happy. Oh, and, your _toast_!" She tried to kiss him but she was still partially paralyzed, "So touching. You came up with that this morning?"

"Yes."

"Wow."

"I don't want to do the repeat-after-me vows they did," Ed blurted out.

"Ok."

"I'll write my own."

 _Two successful toasts and he's a writer all of a sudden?_

"Then I will too," she said.

"I think I already know what I'll say."

"Don't tell me."

"You'll have to work hard to beat it."

"I'll get right on it."

"When are we doing this?"

 _Ugh. Again? God, he was impatient._

"Don't listen to your mom, I'm not going to change my mind."

"You didn't answer the question."

"If we're writing our own vows, then we need to have some kind of ceremony. Which has to be planned. In advance." _Men_.

"Nothing big, right?"

"No, just family and friends. And my squad."

"Aren't they your _friends_?"

"Not exactly."

Ed started kissing her again. "So, next weekend?" he joked.

"I'll start looking around for places to have it and see what's available," she promised.

"So…not next weekend?"

"Unfortunately, no."

He pretended to pout. "If that's the way it has to be. Fine. Just…work on your vows."

"Yes, Captain."

"That's _right_. I outrank you," he mused mischievously. "Hmmmm…"

Laughing, she replied, "You don't have to pull rank. You know I'll do anything for you."

Actually, he didn't know. As their relationship strengthened, Ed had uncharacteristically poured his heart out to her several times, and during those bursts of raw honesty he was sure he'd mentioned the words _anything for you_. There was no doubt in his mind that she loved him. He had no worries about her freaking out and leaving. But hearing "I'll do anything for you" solidified a tiny remaining weak spot in what was now an impenetrable wall of confidence.

He kissed her again, more intensely this time. "Anything?" he challenged.

"Anything."

He stood up. "Come to bed."

She took his outstretched hands, "That's an easy one."

They jostled one another through the living room, down the hall, and into the bedroom, knocking into furniture along the way, taking advantage of the toddler-free scenario. They would be happy to retrieve Noah in the morning, but the next few hours were all about Ed and Olivia.


	16. Chapter 16

_I may or may not have been listening to Christmas music while writing this…_

 **Bonds**

Large snowflakes fell and dusted the Manhattan sidewalks on what was potentially going to be a very wintry Saturday. Inside a crowded Chelsea café, Olivia, Brooke, and Sarah clustered around a small wooden table. Brooke and Sarah drank frothy coffee concoctions and Olivia opted for Chai tea. They each nibbled a house-made pastry.

Sarah studied her Christmas shopping list. "Dad is so hard to buy for. I feel bad always getting him gift cards and books."

"I don't think he even uses the gift cards," Brooke guessed.

"Does he, Olivia?" Sarah asked, wide-eyed. She always appeared to be extra curious when she asked Olivia questions. Even though they had been well-acquainted since summer, her father's fiancée still intrigued Sarah. She was unlike any woman Sarah had ever known—kind, tough, no-nonsense, funny, and…in unconditional love with her steely father who, thanks to Olivia, turned out to be not so hard-hearted after all.

Olivia hated to disappoint Sarah, but she told her the truth, "I've never seen him use one."

"What the _fu_ …" Sarah, taking note of nearby children, trailed off before finishing the curse.

Brooke also looked annoyed. "Who doesn't use gift cards? Maybe he'll just regift them to us."

Olivia thought about the numerous gifts she and Ed already purchased for the girls and for Jeff. The gift cards were not among them. She let out a little laugh. "I'm going to start snooping through his things. Maybe there's a gigantic pile somewhere. And _we'll_ use them. For us."

"Yes!" Sarah agreed enthusiastically. "A morning at the spa. Then mani-pedis. Then lunch. Then maybe a movie. Then drinks."

Brooke interjected, "Whoa, chill sister. We haven't been that generous."

Sarah pouted for a few seconds then moved on with her list. "Jeff. Well, we're looking into buying a house, so we said we weren't going crazy with presents. But I did get him some basketball tickets."

"That's smart," Olivia said.

"So, really, today, I want to finish Dad and my in-laws. _Gawwwwd_. They are so picky. And picky in a bad way. No style."

Brooke was convinced her sister was exaggerating as usual. "Oh, come on. They looked nice at the wedding."

"That is very easy to do."

Brooke and Olivia nodded in agreement.

Sarah continued, "But you should see their house. You know the house in _Roseanne_? That show from the eighties? Or was it nineties? Anyway, their house looks like the _Roseanne_ house. Before they won the lottery."

"Who won the lottery?" Brooke asked.

"The family in the show," Sarah explained impatiently. "You've never seen it?"

"Apparently not as often as you."

"Olivia, have you seen it?" Sarah asked hopefully.

"I have, but I was never _into_ it."

Sarah took a sip. "They play reruns all the time. Good to watch when you're a little hungover."

Brooke and Olivia shared another glance. _Oh, Sarah._

Brooke peered outside. The snow was coming down harder now. "Guys, let's get going so we're home before the blizzard."

They began at Chelsea Market where everyone made a purchase. Olivia found a nice necklace for Rollins; the squad did not exchange gifts, but she wanted to get Amanda something nice since she had been so accommodating with her nanny and Noah. Sarah bought some cutlery for her mother-in-law. "She's always cooking but her knives suck," she explained. Brooke ordered a gift basket for her mother and stepfather and a handmade, brightly colored sweater for Caroline from a Moroccan souk.

"Gram is gonna love that," Sarah remarked earnestly, "She likes all that flashy crap."

Olivia made a mental note to ask Ed about gifts for Caroline and his brother and sister. She had, regretfully so, forgotten about them.

With the snow still falling steadily, they hopped in a taxi and headed towards Union Square. In the back of the cab, Sarah chattered away about house hunting, ticking off names of streets and neighborhoods unfamiliar to Brooke and Olivia. It sounded like they had a healthy budget, but, true to form, Sarah couldn't settle on a neighborhood or a style.

"Jeff wants a townhouse, but I kind of want a high rise condo with a view, but then again, I really like the townhouses we've seen, they have yards, but then again you have to _maintain_ a yard…"

The cabbie pulled over at their requested stop.

"Get me outta here," Brooke joked, making a face at her sister.

…..

Jeff took an initial spin around Wollman Rink to test his the sharpness of his blades. He played hockey his whole life, but he hadn't used his skates in a couple of years. He circled back to where Ed was tightening Noah's new blue and red skates.

Earlier, Sarah teased Ed about the purchase, "You know, Dad, they _rent_ them there."

"He's not wearing rental skates," Ed shot back, annoyed she would even consider putting Noah in footwear someone else had worn. Even if it was just another three-year-old.

Ed closed the last clasp. "How they feel, bud?"

"Good, Dada. I skate now? I skate with Jeff."

"Ready?" The son-in-law asked eagerly.

Ed tugged on Noah's beanie cap so it completely covered his ears and handed him off to Jeff. "I'll be watching you, No!"

Ed stood outside the rink and rested his arms on the top of the barricade, coffee in hand. When Jeff suggested ice skating, he was initially hesitant because Ed Tucker did not ice skate, but Jeff insisted he wanted to help Noah learn. Jeff was always eager to engage Noah in activities when they were around one another. During their time at the beach they built sandcastles together in addition to playing in the pool and with Noah's cars. In college, Jeff had volunteered at the local YMCA which explained his skillful ease when teaching Noah to swim and now to skate.

Jeff held Noah's hands as the boy acclimated to the ice. Ed couldn't hear Jeff's instructions, but he saw him show Noah the difference between walking on the ice and gliding, which Noah mastered after a few tries. It wasn't long before Jeff reduced his assistance to just one hand. Ed snapped pictures with his phone but wished he had brought the camera with the zoom lens.

Eventually they completed a lap and returned to Ed.

"Lemme get a shot of you two."

Jeff knelt next to Noah and they both grinned for the camera. Ed sent the photo to the women. Each of them replied immediately. The instantaneous responses baffled Ed. _Are they constantly staring at their phones?_

 _Omigod, Omigod_ , Sarah replied, but most of her message was filled with assorted emojis—hearts, skates, and snowflakes predominating.

 _Too cute!_ Brooke wrote.

 _Is he actually skating?_ Olivia inquired.

He was actually skating. "Noah," Jeff said, "Let's show Daddy how you can skate by yourself." He propped Noah against the boards, backed up a few feet, and held out his arms. "Now, c'mon, skate to me. Remember, push against the ice, don't walk."

Noah looked up at Ed, teetered for a minute, but regained his balance. "I skate to Jeff, Dada. You watch."

"I'm watching, bud," Ed encouraged, smiling sweetly at him. "Let's see it."

Noah started unsteadily, but got his momentum going and was able to make it to Jeff without falling. Jeff challenged him by moving farther and farther away from the boards, and Noah inevitably took a few good-natured spills. Each time Jeff helped him up, Noah said, "Again, again!"

"I shoulda brought a little hockey stick for him," Jeff remarked as he took a break against the wall.

"Next time," Ed replied.

"Have you heard from the girls? Have they maxed out the credit cards yet?"

Ed rolled his eyes, "They were around Union Square a little while ago. Liv said they would have to come back soon. Too many bags."

"Oh God."

"We've already bought too much for him," Ed gestured towards Noah who was now trying to skate completely on his own; however, he was spending most of his time sliding around on his slick snow pants.

"Uh, we have, too."

"It's so easy."

"Yup." Jeff took a drink from his coffee and grimaced. "What about Olivia? Is she hard to shop for? I never know what to get Sarah. She can be very particular about… _everything_."

"I think Liv will like the necklace I have for her. It has Noah's birthstone in it. But I haven't thought of anything else. Maybe I'll look into getting us a weekend away somewhere."

"That's a good idea," Jeff mused, "I feel like these girls just buy what they want when they want it, so…"

"Good point."

Noah scooted his way over. "Dada, hot choc-it?"

Ed shoved his hands deeper into his pockets. The wind and snow were becoming more intense. "Yeah, bud, let's get some hot chocolate and go warm up."

Jeff scooped Noah. "You wanna take one last lap and go fast with me?"

"Yeah! Go fast!"

Jeff held Noah and took off for another lap. Ed watched them, amazed how easily Jeff maneuvered around the rink with the added burden of a three-year-old perched on his hip. Noah squealed with delight as Jeff dug in and stopped just as it looked like they would crash into the boards.

"Dada, you see us go fast?"

"Yeah. Did you thank Jeff?"

Noah thanked Jeff and hugged his neck before reaching out for Ed. "I put boots on now. Boots for the snow." He looked up and giggled as the snowflakes fell on his face. Ed removed the skates and put the boots on, and Noah stomped around in the rapidly accumulating mini drifts.

"Ed, we should get him a sled. I bet, by tomorrow, the ground will be covered."

"Yeah, we'll do that. Good idea."

…

Brooke and Olivia waited near the entrance while Sarah paid for her new lingerie at Journelle. The girls' day out was supposed to be for Christmas shopping, but Sarah's rule was that for every few gifts she bought for others, she purchased a little something for herself. When she saw the boutique, she veered in.

"They don't have this store in Philly. They have the best underwear. Come on." Sarah, knowing exactly what she wanted, didn't spend long in the store, but that didn't stop her from persuading Olivia and Brooke to at least buy, "something, anything, everything is _sooo_ comfortable."

Sarah ping-ponged from display to display, handing bras and panties to her shopping mates, and Brooke carefully returned most of the items to their respective places.

"Hey," she said accusatorily, "I was choosing that stuff especially for the two of you."

"I don't want it," Brooke replied sternly.

"Olivia?" Sarah asked hopefully, "Here, at least, try these." She handed her a pair of high-cut silky pajama shorts which actually felt comfortable despite looking like they belonged in a boudoir photo.

Olivia gave in. "Ok."

Sarah shoved a matching tank top in her hands, "This too. They go together. You can't have one without the other. Dad will love it." She kept walking and talking, her hands fluttering all around, "I know, I know, they won't stay on long, but, _still_ , he'll appreciate the gesture."

Per the norm, all Brooke and Olivia could do was laugh.

When the three of them were reunited, Sarah assessed their baggage load. "Do you think we can go get a drink and a bite or should we just go home?"

Brooke shrugged. "We can get a drink then go home. We don't have _that_ much."

Olivia agreed. The only large item any of them purchased was an addition for Noah's train set, and Brooke cajoled the sales clerk to have it sent to her apartment. Aside from that, their items were numerous but easily portable—shirts, ties, books, shoes for Noah, and a titanium bracelet for Ed which Sarah and Brooke purchased jointly.

"I know he already has one, but this is nicer and he's had the other one forever," Brooke commented.

"He can rotate," Olivia suggested.

Sarah adjusted her bags. "Can we _pleeeeease_ go to Quinn's?" Neither Brooke nor Sarah was a snob about drinking establishments, but Sarah had her New York favorites and she and her friends had made Quinn's a favorite of theirs over the years. It was just a typical Irish pub, but it was smack-dab in the middle of the area where they grew up, making it a good spot for reunions and a sentimental favorite.

After unsuccessfully trying to hail a cab, Brooke ordered an Uber and the ladies headed uptown. Olivia sent a text to Ed who informed her that ice skating, hot chocolate, and lunch had sent Noah into a deep slumber. He and Jeff were content watching football and drinking beer.

 _Stay out as long as you want._

Then, second guessing himself, added, _don't come back too crocked._

Olivia chuckled and met Brooke and Sarah's inquisitive eyes.

"I bet he said not to get all fucked up," Sarah predicted.

"You know him too well," Olivia replied.

Brooke asked about dinner and Olivia told her Ed planned to order pizza and hang out at home. He'd also mentioned playing cards or some other board game. Since the snow was now falling heavily, all three of them agreed that the plan for the evening was perfect.

"We might even have to have a sleepover!" Sarah exclaimed.

"You're having a sleepover wherever you are," Brooke pointed out.

The Uber driver interrupted them with a comment which he probably intended to be silly but came off as a little perverted and weird, "Am I invited?"

Sarah texted Olivia.

 _Do you have your gun?_

Rarely did Olivia go anywhere unarmed, but today she wasn't carrying.

Brooke deftly deflected the bizarre request, "Sorry, man, family only."

"You sisters?"

"Yes," Sarah quickly answered. "Guess who's oldest?"

"I'd rather say who's prettiest."

Brooke elbowed her sister and glared at her. _Shut up._

"You'll just have to leave us in the lurch," Sarah told the driver, "Because we need to get out right after this light."

Safely inside the bar, the sisters cracked up at the creepy driver and Sarah requested that, from now on, Olivia bring her Glock wherever they went. They stuffed their bags and themselves into a corner table. Olivia and Sarah sat in the booth, bags between them, and Brooke headed the table in a chair. Sarah ordered a round of Jägermeister shots which Brooke and Olivia drank reluctantly, and then they settled in with their drinks of choice. Vodka tonic for Sarah, Jameson's for Olivia, and a Guinness for Brooke.

"I just love New York in the winter," Sarah gushed, "I know Philadelphia is a big city, but you just can't beat good old NYC when it's snowing and it's Christmas and everything is lit up."

Olivia dug into her purse and pulled ou piece of cardstock and slid it to the middle of the table. "Speaking of New York in the winter…I was wondering what you thought about this?"

Sarah and Brooke examined the page.

Sarah launched into a litany of _omigods_.

Brooke just beamed at Olivia.

 _Come Celebrate the New Year_

 _and New Beginnings!_

 _You are cordially invited to the wedding of Ed Tucker and Olivia Benson_

 _620 Loft and Garden_

 _Rockefeller Center_

 _December 31, 2016_

 _1:00 p.m._

In the weeks following Thanksgiving, Olivia allowed Ed to think she'd cast aside their wedding plans. Both cops had been busy at work, especially Benson who was still operating shorthanded and often with the assistance of other precinct's detectives who were not versed in SVU policies and procedures. Lately, she'd been out in the field with Fin, Carisi, and Rollins. While it was, to a certain extent, exhilarating, she was hopelessly behind in her administrative duties. Ed knew this, so he chose not to press her on a wedding date even though he was growing more and more impatient. It seemed like every time he mentioned getting married, she found some reason to either not talk about it or delay it.

The invitation perplexed Ed's daughters. Surely their Dad would have mentioned a wedding date.

Olivia explained how busy they'd been which Brooke understood. She had been rock solid in filling in the child care gaps in the past month. "So," she explained nervously, "I thought I would surprise him. Wrap this as an early Christmas present."

"That is such a neat idea," Brooke said. "He'll be shocked."

Sarah, overwhelmed, just reached over and hugged Olivia.

"I wanted your opinion. I have the invitations ready to mail today. All addressed and stamped. I hope it's not on too short notice, but I thought the time would make it doable for most people. And it won't be long."

Brooke continued reading the details, "Ceremony followed by cocktails and hors d'oeuvres."

"I don't think it's a problem," Sarah said, still clinging to Olivia, "How many people?"

"Not many. You guys, my squad, a few old friends, and Caroline and your aunt and uncle's families."

"You know they're not doing anything on New Year's Eve," Brooke wisecracked.

Sarah finally returned to her space, "People love you. They'll be there." She had absolutely no doubt that anyone who came into contact with Olivia immediately became smitten with her.

"Are you going to give it to him soon?" Brooke asked.

"What do you think?"

"Tonight," Sarah recommended firmly.

"But not with us there," Brooke added.

Disappointment clouded Sarah's face. "Why not?"

Brooke glowered at her sister. _How could she be so naïve?_

"They don't want all of us _there_ …for _that_."

 _Hello, Sarah!?_

Olivia was still on the fence. "He might like it if we're all there." One of his more unexpected and endearing traits was his emphasis on family; however, the reveal would probably be a little too intimate for an audience, "but, maybe we should be alone."

Sarah finally came around, "Yes. Yes. That is an alone thing." She raised her glass but drank before anyone could cheers with her. After she swallowed she rested her head on Olivia's shoulder and advised, "Wear the new jammies."

….

The snow began furiously blanketing Manhattan as Olivia and the girls exited the cab and made their way up to the apartment. They behaved themselves and were only the slightest bit tipsy when they entered.

"Mama!" Noah screamed and ran to Olivia.

Brooke and Sarah rushed to stow Noah gifts in the hall closet while Olivia cuddled her son.

"You girls have fun?" Ed drawled; he was either sleepy or feeling the effects of the beers.

"Is there any money left, Sare?" Jeff inquired.

"A few dollars," she sassed.

Olivia sat in the rocking chair, "We had a great time. I think…we're just about done shopping."

"She's never done," Jeff muttered.

Sarah made a face at him.

"I'm starrrrving," Brooke whined, "Are we ordering pizza?"

"I already did," Ed said, "should be here soon."

Sarah perused the game shelf. "Oh! Let's play Scattergories! I love that game!"

Ed groaned.

"You can't use adjectives," Brooke warned.

Sarah frowned. Her whole strategy was to use adjectives when the assigned letter was challenging. She once argued she should be able to use "Juicy Pear" for a fruit beginning with the letter "J."

The evening passed pleasantly and without conflict over Scattergories or Uno or Scrabble which Ed and Jeff played after the women decided they were tired and better off lounging on the couch. At one point Olivia snuck away and went to the bedroom to wrap the invitation.

The snow temporarily abated as they ate, but now, in the late evening hours, the blizzard raged and a combination of hail and snow pelted the windows. Sarah held Noah and he pressed his face against the window.

"Snow, Sawah. Snowstorm."

"Jeffy and Daddy got you a sled. You're gonna slide down the hill tomorrow."

"We have pa'cakes tomorrow," Noah corrected her.

"Yes, but then we're going sledding."

"I go fast?"

"Yes, baby boy, you're gonna go fast. Did you go fast with Jeffy today on your skates?"

Noah nodded vigorously. "I skate fast."

Olivia called over to Jeff, "Thank you so much. Those pictures are great. Did he really catch on that quickly?"

Jeff completed his turn. Scrabble competitions with Ed were serious business. Finally, he replied, "He did. Glide, not walk, right, Noah?"

"Gide not walk," Noah repeated and then mimicked his skating technique on the laminate floor.

"He'll be skating on his own by the end of winter," Jeff predicted. "The next time we come, I'll bring him a hockey stick and we'll play around with the puck."

"Guys, it's really getting bad out there." Brooke observed.

"Who cares?" Sarah said, "We're only a few blocks away."

Brooke scoffed, "You just want to have a sleepover with all of us."

"I _knooooow_."

Ed, who had been pretending not to hear, finally interjected, "Didn't we have a sleepover at the beach?"

"That was a long time ago. It's fun being all together," Sarah insisted. "Especially when it's snowy like this."

Noah, picking up on a rhyme, chanted, "Snowy, Noey, Snowy, Noey."

Sarah tackled him playfully and kissed his cheek over and over until he managed to squirm free, "Noey, I got you cupcakes. You want one?"

Of course he wanted one. There was no use in looking to Olivia or Ed for permission. Cupcakes were being served.

After dessert, the decision was made that Brooke, Sarah, and Jeff could safely go home. It was still snowing, but there was no reason why they couldn't walk ten blocks to the apartment. Everyone said their goodbyes and agreed to meet for a late breakfast the next morning. Sledding was also on the agenda.

Ed put away the games and Olivia deposited the already-asleep Noah in his bed. They reconvened in their bedroom.

"Whadja buy?" Ed asked, slipping out of his jeans and sweater. He got under the covers clad in only his boxer briefs.

Olivia stripped down to a t-shirt and panties and climbed in next to him. She remembered the little ensemble Sarah had chosen for her just as she cuddled up with Ed. Too late. The matching set would have to be reserved for another night.

She itemized her purchases for Ed and asked about gifts for Margie and John. Tucker grumbled about presents in general even though Olivia could tell he was subtly pleased with all of the holiday hustle and bustle. He spoke enthusiastically about ice skating and his afternoon with Jeff and Noah. Olivia was thrilled that he and Jeff were not only getting along but also seemed to be forging a pretty tight bond.

Ed placed his hand over her thigh-routinely his initial foray into lovemaking. Olivia didn't let him get too enraptured with her. Just as he was sliding his hand under her shirt, she stretched to open the drawer of the nightstand and produced the box she had wrapped earlier.

"Here," she said.

"What's this?"

"An early present."

"That's not fair. I don't have one for you."

Olivia scrunched up her face, "Actually, I bet you do. Open it."

Ed curiously peeled away the wrapping paper. _What gift could he possibly need before Christmas?_ The nearly weightless box further intrigued him.

The invitation rendered him speechless.

He held it gingerly, as if at any moment it might disintegrate in his hands. _She really wanted to marry him_. She hadn't been just going through the motions and wearing the ring out of a sense of obligation. She'd been planning the wedding all along.

Still, he wasn't totally convinced, "Is this real?"

"The invitations are in the mail."

"Seriously?"

"Yes."

"New Year's Eve," he murmured.

"I remember you saying something about starting next year anew," she said, "That's when I started looking around for the 31st and, coincidentally enough, 620 had an opening." Ed was still staring at the invitation. "So I booked it." She finished.

He leaned over and kissed her. "You're unbelievable. I love you so much."

"I love you," she kissed him back, "Are you happy? Is this ok? I'll show you the list—"

"Are you going to be there?" He interrupted.

"Of course."

"Then I don't care about the list."

Had Olivia remembered to wear the lingerie, it would not, as Sarah predicted, have stayed on her body very long. Ed smothered her with kisses and caresses, again seemingly unable to satiate his appetite for her. There was added intensity this time, though. Up until this point, all of the major steps in their relationship had been initiated by him. She hadn't been reluctant, but she had also never taken the initiative to move things forward. This time, _perhaps the most important time_ , she took the reins. This wasn't a spontaneous thing. This was their _wedding_ , and she chose the most perfect date. Tucker and Benson would begin 2017 as husband and wife.

….

#TucksonIsEndGame #AtLeastInMyFic


	17. Chapter 17

**Christmas Eve**

Olivia slid papers into the appropriate manila folder and then shoved it and along with a few others into a large, brown accordion file. She stretched the elastic over its bulk, placed it next to her laptop, and cheerfully spun around in her chair. Tomorrow was Christmas Eve and outside, New York City's residents moved with additional intensity. The procrastination window was closing. Gifts had to be purchased. Party supplies had to be procured.

Not that Olivia was in anyway harried nor did she identify with those who couldn't seem to get a grip on the holiday madness.

Aided by Sarah, who couldn't seem to stay away from New York for long, and Brooke, the shopping was done and the presents were wrapped. The three of them spent the past weekend trying on dresses and prepping the gifts at Brooke's apartment. Ed's daughters excelled at making a party out of any occasion, and the wrapping marathons were no exception. Brooke prepared snacks, Sarah brought wine and mixed cocktails, and they sang along to streaming Christmas music as they worked.

"It's really too bad that all this will just be in a trash bag very soon." Sarah lamented as she admired her handiwork—a silver wrap job with an elaborate navy blue bow. Between the three of them they had done so much shopping, neither Brooke nor Sarah remembered what was in the box.

Olivia went through her mental checklist and couldn't pinpoint any glaring omissions. Food, drinks, extra chairs, games, cameras…everything was ready. As soon as Fin and Rollins returned to the precinct, she was on vacation for the next three days.

Carisi came into the office, "Hey, Lieutenant, I just emailed you the DD5 from last night and everything's in Omniform."

Olivia complimented him for his promptness and asked about his holiday plans.

"We do everything on Christmas Eve. Oh, man, everyone's there. It's so much fun," he gushed and waved his arms wildly. "And the food? _We have so much food_ , everyone brings something. We do secret Santa and I drew my little niece's name. She's gonna love what I got her."

"What's that?"

"An American Girl doll she'd been wanting forever and a new scooter."

"Wow. Good work, Uncle Sonny!"

"What are you up to?"

"Sort of the same concept but fewer people. Tucker's family is coming over tomorrow. Christmas Day we'll be with Noah and then his daughters will come over later. We're doing a huge meal tomorrow and just lighter snacks on Christmas."

"Yeah, Christmas is when everyone in my family splinters and goes off to the in-laws."

It dawned on Olivia just then that Carisi didn't actually have any in-laws. "Well, if you're not doing anything in the evening, come over. We'll probably play cards or board games."

Slightly taken aback by her generous invitation, Carisi's jaw dropped a little. Sure, he and the squad had drinks every once in a while with their boss, but this seemed so uncharacteristically exclusive that he was almost suspicious.

Olivia, on the other hand, wondered if he would accept. Sarah believed but couldn't confirm Brooke was involved with a cop, and Olivia noticed an iota of awkward chemistry between Carisi and Ed's oldest daughter the last time they were face-to-face. It was a long-shot, but the Lieutenant sensed there was something going on between them. Instead of simply asking, she took the underhanded route and extended an outwardly innocent invite.

Carisi's response was devoid of his usual city-boy swagger, "Thanks, Lieutenant, I'll…I'll text you if I can make it."

She smiled at him a little too sweetly, "Do that."

Olivia's phone had been vibrating constantly while she conversed with Carisi and when she looked at the screen she laughed. Ed had sent multiple messages which successfully conveyed how impatient he was to get on with the holiday.

 _I'm leaving in ten minutes._

 _Drink?_

 _Are you still at the precinct?_

 _Where are you?_

 _Let's get a drink._

 _Olivia?_

 _Are you ignoring me?_

She put him out of his misery.

 _I shouldn't be much longer. Where are we meeting?_

….

"Why did you choose this place?" Olivia asked after she kissed him hello.

There is a certain type of exhilaration a person experiences at the beginning of a vacation, particularly when all is right in his or her world. Ed felt that way now. Four consecutive days off. He and his family, his whole family, would spend Christmas Eve and Christmas Day together just being lazy and enjoying one another's company. He and Olivia were celebrating their first Christmas together, and chills shot up and down his spine when he thought about how much Olivia would love her Christmas present and how fervently she would thank him afterwards. Ed recently discovered an appreciation for the beginnings of things. Romance, love, and passion suddenly and aggressively engulfed his life, and he was committed to preserving all of it for the rest of their lives, even if circumstances were not always perfect or easy.

"Ed?"

He blinked. "Sorry…what?"

"Are you alright?"

He stared back at her, eyes dancing with desire, passion, and infatuation. She killed him. Red blouse. Perfectly tailored black blazer and pants. Hair falling in waves across her face and over her shoulders. She was even more gorgeous now than she had been this morning when she emerged from the bedroom freshly dressed and ready to go. Maybe it was her flushed cheeks or her eyes, slightly watery from the blustery afternoon. More likely, it was the way she seemed to float, glow, and cut a haloed path as she moved amid the hazy dive bar lighting.

Radiant.

Ed had trouble articulating a coherent thought, but he had to come up with something fast. Her expression was slowly shifting from _thrilled to see you_ to _what in the hell is wrong with you?_.

He put his hand on her thigh as she took the seat next to his. "You're too good for me," he told her.

She gave him a slight eye roll and a flirty grin. "Don't be silly."

"I'm not." He leaned his head towards the bar's busier section, "Everyone…when you walked in, they all were hoping you would sit next to them. And here you are. And they're wondering why."

"You're embarrassing me."

"It's true."

"Well," Olivia scooted the stool so that hers and Ed's were touching. She took his head in one hand and pulled his face close, "if that's really true, they must be seething with jealousy now."

Their lips brushed together ever so slightly. Olivia felt goosebumps on her arm and on the back of her neck. Any kiss between them caused at least the slightest bit of arousal, but these outwardly innocent yet erotically loaded PDAs frequently necessitated that they head home early.

Only the bartender, asking for Olivia's drink order, interrupted their solitude.

"One of those," she pointed to Tucker's drink, "but on the rocks."

Tucker took her coat, mentally berating himself for not doing it sooner, and hung it on a nearby hook. Every once in a while he still got nervous around Olivia and, at the moment, his legs felt weak. She sensed his anxiety.

"Ed? Seriously. Are you ok?"

A few months ago he would have shrugged it off, but he didn't have to do that anymore. He laughed sheepishly and blurted out, "I feel like we're on our first date."

How adorable. But, they never really had a first _date_ in the traditional sense.

"I think it has something to do with this place." This bar was where they had drinks just before their first kiss.

Ed's face reddened as he admitted, "I chose it on purpose."

Olivia gazed at him wistfully, "Can you believe that was almost a year ago?"

"It was?"

"Yes. January."

"Wow," he sighed, truly amazed.

"Everything go ok today?" She attempted to steer the conversation back to less abstract and contemplative topics.

Ed told her his morning went fine, but he refused to take the bait. "Liv, these next few days are going to be so great."

 _Ok, ok, we'll stay on the lovey-dovey road for a minute._ Another Ed Tucker anomaly—big bad IAB enforcer could wax sentimental with the best of them.

"I'm so excited about it."

"I am too." She leaned over for another kiss and lingered on his lips slightly longer than the last time. "This will be the first real Christmas I've had in…in _years_."

"And it will be perfect," he promised.

"You know what I think I'm going to love most?"

"What?"

"Being on the couch with you, after everyone is gone. Wrapping paper everywhere. New toys are scattered all over and there are dirty dishes in the kitchen…but the tree will still be on. That will be the only light, and it will just be the two of us, happy, after all the craziness."

He could cry. Whenever she opened up like this he had to fight tears. Instead, he reciprocated. "For me? That too, of course, but seeing Noah come out Christmas morning, after getting all the loot he'll get tomorrow from my mom and everyone. I can't wait to see his face. And then…when the girls bring his presents later. He's gonna go nuts."

"You know Sarah is going to want to spend the night at our place."

"No."

"She always wants that."

"I don't know why. That girl has the strangest ideas."

"She sure is good at wrapping presents."

Ed knew this. "Yes. Yes, she is. Are the rest of the presents at Brooke's?"

Their tree, which the three of them had picked out from a local vendor, was not only decorated in fabulous red, green, and blue ornaments and stringed lights, but it was also surrounded by a heap of gifts that seemed to spread outward as each day passed. They set it up in a corner of the living room near the windows, and the pile was slowly encroaching into the actual living space.

"They are. Not many, though. Just yours and Noah's bike."

Ed beamed as he thought of the bicycle he and Olivia picked out for Noah. At first, they hesitated, thinking there was nothing more cruel than to give a little kid a bike in the middle of winter, but there would be snowless days ahead and he was at the perfect age for his first big kid bicycle. They had the technicians affix training wheels, but he predicted he would quickly learn to balance on two wheels.

"Look how fast he started swimming on his own," he said.

Olivia didn't quite have the heart to tell him that, in her opinion, there was a big difference between swimming and riding a bike, but she kept that to herself and instead thought about the photos and videos she would take as Ed ran alongside a wobbly Noah as he learned to balance.

"Should we save the bike for Christmas morning?"

Olivia enthusiastically shook her head. "Absolutely. Think about him coming out and seeing the bike with a big bow on it."

"Bow?"

"Sarah."

Ed nodded knowingly. Of course. "My mom and everybody will be over around two tomorrow," he reported, getting down to business. Ed had no interest in visiting the Riverdale house, and he'd somewhat hesitantly proposed they host the Christmas Eve festivities even though it would potentially be a tight squeeze. Olivia immediately agreed and made plans to rearrange furniture to accommodate Caroline, Margie, and John. His nieces and nephews were spending the day with the other side of their families. Brooke, Sarah, and Jeff would be there, too and the three of them would drop in on Angela Christmas Day before returning to Ed and Olivia's for dinner and more present opening. Olivia and Ed marveled about how much money they'd spent, but neither one of them regretted it.

"Mathematically," Olivia reasoned, "over the course of my adult life, I have not spent much on Christmas. So…extravagance is excused."

" _This year_." Ed cautioned good-naturedly.

Olivia checked her phone, "We have to pick up the meat at noon, so that will be perfect. She's bringing almost everything else, right?"

"Right." Caroline had no problem coming to Manhattan for Christmas Eve as long as she was allowed to do most of the cooking. To Olivia, this proposal had an odd sort of reverse logic, but purchasing the beef tenderloin and having it prepared in the Irish spiced style Ed recommended made her feel better about doing nothing other than providing a venue.

"Another round?" The bartender asked, sounding like he truly hoped they would say yes.

"Sure," Olivia said. They had time before they had to pick up Noah, and Olivia only had to make a stop to pick up Sarah and Brooke's gifts before going home.

She spotted the necklaces at Tiffany and immediately knew they were perfect for the girls. After having a romantic, child-free dinner out one day last week, she and Ed took a stroll down Fifth Avenue to take in the department stores' Christmas displays. Olivia dragged him into several retailers.

"These are perfect!" She exclaimed when she saw the Elsa Peretti alphabet pendants, but the store did not have many in stock. The _B_ and _S_ had to be specially ordered.

"Aren't they a little expensive?" Ed's passive objection was pointless. Olivia already had her hand on her wallet.

There were multiple justifications for the extravagant purchase. First, Ed's daughters had been so loving towards Noah, and Brooke had given up a lot of her free time to babysit either out of necessity when Ed and Olivia were tied up at work or just because she wanted to spend time with him. Next, Olivia appreciated how openly the girls had accepted her into their lives. Even when Olivia was still unsure about what exactly was happening with Ed, Sarah and Brooke were, assuredly, all in. Finally, Olivia wanted them to have something special to commemorate their first Christmas together.

The bartender dropped off the second round and Ed raised his glass, "To us."

"To us," Olivia echoed. She planned to get at least three drinks in Ed before she told him about inviting Carisi, but she decided she'd stalled long enough. "Also, I, ah, I told Carisi he could come over for cards and a drink Sunday night. He'll be all alone." She was slightly exaggerating on the "all alone" part; surely Carisi could find one of his numerous relatives to take him in.

"Ok."

 _Ok?_

Well, Ed did enjoy Carisi's company and he was not privy to Olivia's evidence and Sarah's suspicions, so, when she thought about it, his nonchalant acceptance wasn't that unusual.

"He said he'll let me know for sure."

"Alright." Ed took a gulp of his bourbon, nearly finishing his glass. Olivia raised her eyebrows and he grinned at her. "Let's go home before we get Noah." He'd been resting a hand on her leg, and he squeezed her thigh as he made the suggestion.

Instead of verbally responding, she stood up and grabbed her coat. Ed tossed down a few bills, nodded at the bartender, and wished him a Merry Christmas. As they walked out, Olivia took his arm, and Tucker flashed a proud smirk at the gawking patrons.

…

The Christmas Eve crowd was loud and rowdy from the get-go. Caroline, Margie, and John arrived loaded down with presents and food.

"Eddie," Caroline said as she made a beeline for the kitchen, "I need a drink and then I'm gonna need the oven at about two-fifty just to keep everything warm."

"You don't know how to turn on an oven?"

Caroline frowned, "You people have all these newfangled high tech appliances."

"I got new Thomas train," Noah enthusiastically reported to Margie and John. "Thomas train go fast. Look!" Noah rolled his train so forcefully that it propelled off the track. "CRASH!" he shouted.

"What are you two drinking?" Olivia asked John and Margie.

"You got Jack, Eddie?" John called to his brother. Ed answered in the affirmative.

"Jack and Coke then."

Margie ordered the same.

John needled Jeff about the Sixers' dismal season and Jeff, having little ammunition with which to fight back, predicted the Phillies would dominate the Yankees during the upcoming baseball season. Sarah hated sports talk, so she tried to drown out the banter by playing Christmas music and twirling, drink in hand. Brooke, ever the organizer, busied herself by categorizing gifts according to the recipient. She was almost knee-deep in the pile of colorfully-wrapped boxes.

Olivia offered her assistance to Caroline but was waved off, "No, no, dearie, you just cuddle up with Eddie and I'll handle this. The roast smells so good, just like my mother used to make I'm sure. We'll eat in an hour, or two, I don't know. We have all day, but Noah's gonna want to unwrap his toys, AREN'T YOU NOAH?"

Noah, engrossed with the Minions Movie Talking Bob toy, did not answer.

Sarah pranced her way into the kitchen and kissed her grandmother on the cheek, "We let Noey open a couple things already. Jeff and I got him the minion and he loves it…so right now we're his favorite people…but I bet when he sees—"

" _Shhhh_ ," Brooke scolded her from across the room. "He's gonna hear you and you'll ruin the surprise."

"Olivia, please don't forget to video him tomorrow morning. I can't wait to see him—"

" _Shut_ -up!" Brooke hissed.

Sarah made a face, "Oh, stop, I wasn't going to say it. You're too tense, Brookey, have a drink. It's the holidays!"

"Girls, behave," Ed interjected flatly as if he was not expecting to be heard much less obeyed.

"Sare-bear, why don't you put the drink down for a few minutes and set the table?" Caroline suggested. She had already found the plates and silverware and set them on the counter.

Sarah pouted, "I never know which side everything goes on. Fork with spoon? On the left? _Gawwwd_ , can't we just do it like a buffet?"

"Oh for God's sake. Knife and napkin on the left, knife then spoon on the right. Salad plate upper left, glass upper right."

Sarah screwed up her face. "Huh?"

"Oh just, make sure everyone has what they need. We're not Emily Post here."

Olivia refilled Sarah's glass of Prosecco and told her she would handle the table-setting duties. Sarah gave her a little hug. "Thank you Livvie. I'll go bother Noah now."

From behind the sofa, Olivia rubbed Ed's shoulders and asked him if he would get the tablecloth from the linen closet. "Top shelf," she instructed. "I can't reach it."

She _could_ reach it, but she wanted to steal a moment alone. He got the hint, and nobody else was paying attention as they disappeared to the back of the apartment. The table cloth actually was back there, but it Olivia had it cleaned and pressed and it was in a plastic bag on the bed.

She ran her hands over his chest and pulled him close, "I love this sweater."

Ed refused to wear red, so he chose a hunter green V-neck over a white crew. Olivia always preferred him in some shade of blue, but this look came in a close second.

"I love you."

She kissed him and moaned, "I _loooove_ you and I love today."

"I hope we're not pissing off the neighbors; we're kinda loud."

"To be expected. And we've been," she pointed to the bed, "loud before."

He chuckled shyly, "Yes we have."

They shared another kiss.

"Well, we better get back out there," Olivia said.

"Right."

"Hey," he held her arm to prevent her from leaving, "When are _we_ exchanging our gifts?"

"Tonight?"

"How 'bout tomorrow night? Save the best for last?"

The suspense would be tough to bear, but she agreed to wait.

….

Everyone enjoyed the dinner and profusely praised Caroline for her culinary magic, particularly her garlic mashed potatoes and the soda bread. Even the Brussel sprouts were scarfed down. Olivia worried about Caroline's reaction to the spiced tenderloin. Many times when a restaurant attempted to replicate traditional cooking the final result did not go over well with the person used to preparing the meal in her kitchen. However, Caroline either genuinely approved or lied, because she raved about it.

"So tender. Mmm. And they didn't overdo it on the seasoning. Kudos," she said with a mouth full of food.

Dessert was a traditional Irish Christmas cake served with small glasses of whiskey. Caroline set a glass in front of Noah just to elicit a reaction from Ed. He glared at her and took a swipe at her arm. " _Ma_ ," he grumbled.

Noah, not quite sure about the taste, chewed his first bite curiously. Olivia saw him and was sure he would try to spit it out.

Caroline saw it, too. "Now, Noah, if you don't eat my cake you're not getting my presents," she threatened albeit light-heartedly.

Sarah came to his defense, "Damn, Grandma, he ate your Brussel sprouts. Isn't that enough?"

" _Language_ ," Brooke whispered under her breath.

The entire table burst into polite laughter as Noah swallowed and forced himself to take another bite before Ed removed the plate from his tray. "That's enough bud, you don't have to eat it if you don't want to."

"Pesents, Dada?"

"You'll still get your presents," Ed assured him while sternly staring at his mother who just smiled.

There was no shortage of presents. They opened them in round-robin style with Noah getting two at a time. He quickly became surrounded with his loot—books, puzzles, trucks, Thomas items, a larger beanbag chair, more Minions items, some clothes, a few educational games, and a Phillies cap.

"Oh boy," Brooke remarked as Noah happily donned the hat. Her Bronx-born-and-bred father was a devoted Yankees fan. "I bet that'll get lost real quick."

Ed's tone was so overly kind it conveyed a sort of veiled malice, "Say _thank-you_ to Jeff, Noah."

"Tank you, Jeffy!"

"You're welcome, No! Maybe your mommy and daddy will bring you to a game so you can see what a real baseball team looks like." Jeff was getting bolder as time went on. Also, he'd had several drinks.

"You people are nuts," Sarah scoffed. "Refill anyone?"

It took another hour or so for the pile to be whittled down, and, as Olivia had envisioned, shards of gift wrap and tissue paper littered the floor. Next to each person, an unsteady pile of half-closed boxes teetered. Noah sat in his new beanbag and played with a Leap Frog game. Brooke reclined against his gigantic stuffed dog, Sarah fiddled with the stereo, and Caroline dozed in the armchair.

Olivia and Ed sat close together at the corner of the couch.

"There is no way he'll ever play with all that stuff," Olivia mused.

"We should put some of it away for a couple months."

"Good idea."

"That's mean," Sarah said.

Ed just rolled his eyes at her.

John, yawning, roused Caroline, "Ma?"

"Whaddya want, Johnny?"

"You ready to go home?"

"I'm comfortable here."

"But it's getting late and Eddie and Liv probably want to get Noah in bed."

"Fine."

Olivia told Caroline she would clean and return her dishes in the next few days.

"Don't worry about it, sweetheart, I have dozens of them, people always buy me new ones," she pointed to her gift pile, "Case in point. Mama cooks. Mama gets a new Pyrex casserole. For. Every. Holiday."

"Grandma, we never know what to get you," Sarah whined.

"I love my sweater, Brookey," Caroline cooed.

"I saw it and immediately thought of you," Brooke replied.

John was now impatient, "Ma, Margie, let's go. The Uber is close."

"Uber?" Ed asked incredulously, "You stepped into the modern age, Johnny?"

"Yeah, but I gotta call my kids all the time for help."

Ed was the tiniest bit satisfied that his younger brother struggled with technology.

"It's amazing how easily Noah figures out the iPad," Olivia said, "he caught on more quickly than I did."

Brooke rolled over and snuggled Noah, "That's 'cause he's super smart, right sweetie?"

Noah nodded and continued with his game, but he did give Brooke a little pat on the head.

John practically had to push his mother and sister out the door. The hugs and Merry Christmases were lasting too long and he was worried the Uber would leave.

"Relax, Johnny," Caroline admonished him as she was ushered from the apartment, "It's not like it's the last car on Earth you know."

…

Finally, Olivia and Ed were alone. Surrounding them was the day's mess and the Christmas tree lights clouded the room with a hazy reddish glow. Exactly the scenario she'd wanted.

Ed used the dog pillow for a headrest and reclined on the couch; Olivia draped herself over his chest. They recovered the rest of the gifts from their various hiding places and arranged them around the featured item—Noah's first bicycle. In front of them on the coffee table was a plate for Santa and his reindeer—cookies, carrots, sugar cubes, and the obligatory glass of milk.

"Let's not forget to leave him a thank-you note from Santa Claus," Ed said.

"Good thinking."

"And Sarah threatened to never see me again if we forget to get video of Noah seeing the bike for the first time."

"Me too, well, she didn't say she would sever all ties, but her request was very clear."

"Lieutenant, I have a request."

"What's that?"

"You know what it is."

"Here or in the bedroom?"

"Bedroom."

"Let's stay like this a little while longer."

Ed played with her hair, pretending to consider her request. "Ok."

She lifted her head, "But…maybe a little preview?"

"Whadja have in mind?"

"This." Olivia propped herself on her hands and straddled him. She began at his neck before entering into a fully-involved, slow, passionate kiss. She tasted the bourbon and maybe a little of the cookie he'd bitten to make it look like Santa had sampled the treats. Thinking about how much effort Ed put into making the holiday perfect for Noah turned her on even more. She broke away for a second. "You're perfect," she whispered, her lips still on his.

"I just want to make you happy."

Olivia continued kissing him because, if she didn't, she would cry, and tonight was not the time for tears, even happy ones. The entire day developed according to plan. Conversations were easy and filled with playful banter. Everyone spoiled Noah and he got through the exhausting day without a meltdown. He'd been polite and conscientiously said "thank you" after opening each present. And now, content among the chaos, Olivia and Ed soaked up the romantic ambience and one another as the night came to a close.

….

 **Stay tuned for Christmas!**


	18. Chapter 18

**Christmas**.

"Olivia."

Ed was on his second round of snoozing. In order to record Noah's Christmas morning on video they obviously had to be awake or at least in place before he came scampering out. Olivia, undisturbed by the alarm, remained buried in her pillow.

Noah's normal wake-up time was between seven and eight and it was just after six. Also, his typical routine, if he wasn't awakened by Ed or Olivia first, was to wander into his parents' bedroom and snuggle with one or both of them until it was time to get ready. It was now six-thirty. Noah stayed up late the night before, so Ed wasn't very concerned about the perfect surprise being tainted by an early awakening, but he took no chances.

" _Liv_."

She fiercely clung to her pleasant slumber, and, knowing how difficult sleep had previously come to her, he accepted this wholeheartedly. Still, he needed her to wake up. _Now_. The reveal would lose its luster if Olivia missed it.

She made the slightest noise. A cross between a word and a groan.

Good enough.

He moved closer to her and went to work along her jawbone just below her ear, kissing it as softly as he possibly could, almost not even touching her skin. He could see her trying not to smile.

"You're holding out on me," he whispered.

Another noise. Still undecipherable.

He kissed her again. This time on her neck.

She shivered, and he laughed a little. "I know you're awake."

Finally her words made sense, "You're too good at being a cop."

"Well," he bit a little at her earlobe and finally kissed her on the lips, "when you're able to use these interrogation techniques it's pretty easy."

"What time is it?"

"Early. You want coffee?"

"Hmmmphhhh."

Olivia loved her bed. The mattress which, appropriately enough, she'd purchased just after Brian moved out, was a little less firm than most people desired, and she sunk comfortably into the memory foam. She wasn't in a hurry to leave that security. "I'm not even awake yet," she rasped.

Relentless and enamored, Ed continued kissing her, moving his lips over her neck, shoulders, and arms causing tiny goosebumps to appear on her skin. However, he was increasingly concerned about the time.

"Let's at least move to the couch," he begged.

"Ok, ok, I'm up. Coffee. Please." She extracted herself from the covers, sat up, and rubbed her eyes.

He sat up too, gripped her arms, and turned her so she was facing him.

"Hmmm?" She droned, eyes opened only in slits.

"Merry Christmas."

For a split second he glanced towards the window and, to his astonishment, saw that it was snowing. How serendipitous was _this_? He was engaged to Olivia Benson? Their holiday was moving along flawlessly. Christmas morning with his beautiful bride-to-be, and a layer of freshly fallen snow blanketed the city? Surely this was a movie plot and not real life.

 _But it was real life_.

Olivia fully opened her eyes. Their eyes had met, by now, probably hundreds of times, but this was different. Love, of course. Appreciation. Lingering amazement they were actually together. Passion. Desire. Gratitude. Every emotion they had ever felt for one another was wrapped up in that moment as their eyes locked on this Christmas morning.

"Merry Christmas, baby," she said hoarsely.

They left the bed unmade and relocated to the kitchen and living room where Ed made coffee and Olivia turned on the iPad and played soft instrumental Christmas music. She kept her phone in her hand, ready to hit the red record button whenever Noah decided to make his appearance.

"Liv, you want one of these peppermint cream things?"

"Yes. Thank you."

Ed prepared her coffee and brought her the mug. He sipped his while staring contemplatively out the window. Olivia snapped a picture of him in profile, illuminated by both the morning light and the tree. He pretended not to notice.

"At least an inch," he surmised.

"I guess I wasn't paying attention to the forecast," Olivia said, "I didn't think it was supposed to snow."

"It wasn't. I think it's for us."

 _Tucker going all metaphysical on her?_

She hugged him from behind, rested her chin on his shoulder, and went along with his whimsical observation. "All for us," she whispered.

"Let's make sure to take Noah out later."

"Absolutely."

…

It was almost eight-thirty when Noah, clad in red reindeer pajamas and clutching a new plush minion, finally emerged.

"Merry Christmas, sweet Noah!" Olivia cooed as she pointed her phone at him.

Noah appeared to be slightly confused, so a giddy Ed prompted him, "I think Santa Claus came last night, bud. C'mon and see."

"Santa?" Noah asked hopefully.

"Yeah, sweetie, go see what he brought you."

Olivia shadowed Noah as he scampered around the couch and stopped in his tracks when he saw the neon green and black bicycle. His eyes lit up and widened.

"WHOA! BIKE!" Noah ran to it, tore off the bow, and started to climb on while repeating determinedly, "I ride this bike. I ride this bike." He gripped the handlebars and rocked back and forth, "Go FAST! Vrrrroooooooom!"

"Put your feet on the pedals, bud, let's take it for a spin." Ed guided Noah for a few laps around the apartment. "Now, you do it on your own. Push the pedals."

Noah, tentatively at first, took off on a path from the kitchen to the apartment's door and then turned into the foyer, trapping himself. "I stuck!" he called. Ed rushed over and turned him around. Gaining confidence, Noah churned his little legs faster and was soon zooming around every clear inch.

"I take this bike outside?"

Olivia, still filming, answered, "Too much snow now, sweetheart, but we will."

"Liv, let's have him open the other one. You know, that he can _use_ today."

"Noah, Santa brought you some other things. Let's open them. Then we'll have breakfast and go out and play for a little bit."

Noah drove over, bumped the front tire into the coffee table, and looked around for someone to help him dismount.

"Go ahead, try to get off yourself," Olivia cajoled.

Ed hovered over him as he carefully leaned to the side, balanced on one foot, and successfully slung his other leg around to stand.

"Good job, bud!"

Noah looked up at his mother expectantly. _Where are these other presents you're talking about?_

"What do you say to Santa?" She asked.

"TANK YOU SANTA!" Noah shouted.

"Are you excited to see Sarah, Brookey, and Jeff later?"

"YAAAAAASSSS!"

Olivia stopped the video, satisfied Sarah would be pleased.

Noah opened the other gift, a bright orange racer sled with a steering wheel. He immediately plopped himself in the seat and mimicked driving it while making his racecar sounds.

Ed and Olivia cuddled on the couch while Noah busied himself with the overwhelming horde of new toys. Eventually, Ed made breakfast—pancakes, eggs, and bacon—and then they bundled up and ventured outside to try out the new sled. Ed pulled Noah along the sidewalk until they got to the park where Noah took over, steering as he descended the gentle slope. Ed and Olivia took turns helping him hike back up after each run. The snow fell in sporadic light flurries now, but, in the distance, the sky threatened heavier precipitation.

Olivia took a few selfies of the three of them and texted the pictures to Sarah and Brooke. They were en route to Connecticut and would be back in the city, according to Sarah's text, _AS SOON AS HUMANLY POSSIBLE._

Before they returned home, Olivia asked a nearby parent to take a picture of the three of them and she immediately made the photo her new lock screen image. For an impromptu shot, they were perfectly posed—Olivia perched Noah on her hip, Ed slung one arm across her shoulders and held the sled with the other hand. Mother and son were captured mid-laugh, and Ed's expression was contorted in a triumphant grin as if to silently boast:

 _My family is better than yours._

…

Ed ended up carrying a tired Noah most of the way home; Olivia dragged the sled. The three-year-old was completely asleep by the time they arrived back at the apartment. Olivia took his dripping boots off before Ed laid him on the couch and removed his hat, coat, and snow pants as gingerly as possible and then put him in bed.

Ed heard the shower running and poked his head into the bathroom. Olivia was stripped down to her underwear. "I thought we could get cleaned up," she said casually. "You know, since he's asleep and all."

Ed needed no further convincing. He and Benson did not shower together nearly enough, so he seized this opportunity. The water fell on them from the rainfall shower head, and Ed played around with the handheld one, turning it to pulse and making Olivia giggle as Ed hit her with the forceful sprays. She managed to wrestle it away from him, and in the struggle they locked themselves in an intense kiss.

Ed reached for the body wash, squirted some, probably too much, into a washcloth and slowly attended to Olivia. He started with her upper body, mixing in kisses and lingering at her breasts before moving lower. Olivia's fingers dug into the sides of his head and she gasped as he maneuvered his tongue between her legs. Encouraged, he continued, more and more aggressively until her entire body quivered and she nearly collapsed into him, sated, mumbling, "Oh, _Ed_ …I. Love. You." She searched for more eloquent words but an erotic dizziness obstructed her brain's verbal capacity, so she stopped talking and took her turn with the washcloth, adding another dollop of the green tea body wash before attending to her fiancée.

After Olivia sent Ed into his own erotic orbit, they settled in for one final, slow, methodical kiss and massaged shampoo and conditioner into one another's hair. Ed switched the shower head from pulsate to something gentler and expertly rinsed her long brown locks.

"There," he said, satisfied there was no residue left in her tresses, "All set."

"You're good at that."

"Thank you."

"I should have you do it more often."

He smiled slyly, grabbing a towel and holding it out for her to step into, "Anytime, Liv. Seriously. Any. Time."

…..

The family reunited just as dusk descended over the city. The trio burst in without knocking. At the head of the line, Sarah flounced about, already three or four drinks in, and danced her way from Ed to Olivia to Noah doling out gratuitous hugs and kisses. Noah, familiar with her sometimes overzealous expressions of love, let himself go limp in her arms, and cooed a helpless, "Hi Sawah," before giving her a peck on the cheek. After this, she let him go.

Jeff assessed the room. Olivia cleared the trash and used dishes earlier but the toddler-themed clutter remained. "You have a veritable FAO Schwartz here."

"It's a little over the top," Olivia admitted dolefully.

Brooke produced more items from two large shopping bags and arranged them around the tree, shoving aside already opened presents to make room for the final round. "Don't worry," she said as she worked, "most of this is for you and Dad, Olivia. We gave Noah most of his stuff yesterday."

"But there are a few things for you, Noey!" Sarah promised.

"You hungry?" Ed asked from the kitchen.

"Yes." Jeff, Sarah, and Brooke answered simultaneously.

Quizzical expressions crossed Ed's and Olivia's faces.

Brooke plopped herself on a bar chair. "Mom and Dave. _Ugh_."

Ed certainly did not want to spend Christmas hearing about how much his girls despised spending time with their mother, but a morbid curiosity rippled through him. "What happened?"

Sarah took over. "Omigod. _Gawwwwd_. You guys, well, Olivia, my mom is a freaking stockbroker and her husband is one too, but he's really really high up there on the food chain. Anyway, the point is, we get there, and she invited us for _brunch_ , right? Do you know what _brunch_ was?"

They did not know.

"Freaking muffins. Some little mini-quiches, she said she got the idea for those from my shower, some ham biscuit thingies, and, Jeff, what else?"

"There was a lot to choose from, it was just…" He was trying to be polite.

"Cheap." Brooke finished.

"And not Christmasy!" Sarah's exclaimed venomously. "Not even one," she lowered her voice to a whisper so Noah couldn't hear, " _fucking_ _cookie_."

Currently, there were two tins of frosted and decorated cut-out sugar cookies in the apartment. Noah and Brooke baked and decorated them during one of their afternoons together, and Noah left two of them last night for Santa. Ed plucked the tins from the top of the refrigerator (they'd been stowed out of Noah's sight) and slid them to Sarah. "Here. Go crazy."

Sarah opened the container and a flurry of accolades poured out of her mouth. She assessed almost every cookie, particularly the ones Noah obviously designed. "Noey, did you make this one?" She held up a star which Noah had decorated with blue and yellow frosting, ostensibly to make it look like a badge. The "decoration" really was just a series of blue and yellow smudges, but Sarah acted like it was the most authentic thing she had ever seen.

Noah ran over. "I make that, Sawah. That the badge. Cookie badge." He then dashed into his bedroom and returned with his shield. "Mama, help," he requested as he tried to clip it to the waist of his khakis.

"Can I eat it?" Sarah asked dramatically.

Noah pondered this for a few seconds. Adorably, he put his index finger to his lips and cast his eyes upward. "Ok, Sawah, you eat badge cookie."

She bit into it. " _Mmmmm_! So good! You want a bite?"

Of course he did.

Olivia began setting the evening's hors d oeuvres spread on the dining table. "We have made absolutely none of this," she disclosed.

"It looks great," Jeff said, sounding relieved. He generally kept a low profile around his in-laws, but the chintzy brunch spread annoyed even him. "Thank you, both of you, for having us over again."

"Of course," Olivia said. "We're so happy you're here."

Sarah, who was now sipping a glass of Prosecco, announced in a formal tone of voice that she wanted to propose a toast.

"Gather around, everyone. Noah, you too, come here. Sit here on the counter. Up ya go! Ok. Listen." Sarah looked each person directly in the eye before she spoke. "Last year at this time we were all in separate places. Think about that." She paused. "And this year? We had an awesome time yesterday and I know I am beyond thrilled to be here to wrap up Christmas with you all. Olivia," Sarah was not prone to emotional tears, but her eyes welled up now as she addressed her stepmother-to-be, "You are the best surprise that I've ever been given. And I know you and Noah are actually _Daddy's_ surprise, but with you in his life, I feel like…we all feel like…there's this glue holding us together now. So…I want to raise my glass to whatever…force, fate, God, spirit…whatever happened to make this the best Christmas ever and I'm so indescribably thankful, excited…to get to have you in my life, our lives, forever. Cheers."

At first, nobody drank anything. Nobody reciprocated the "cheers." Everyone stood, slack-jawed. His flighty daughter's apparently planned speech floored Ed. Brooke, too, was shocked since Sarah usually blabbed everything to her and she hadn't mentioned her plans for this heartwarming toast. Jeff, still acclimating to the whims of his unpredictable wife, stared at her lovingly. Olivia used a candy-cane cocktail napkin to mop the black mascara now streaking down her face.

Noah brought levity back to the moment.

"CHEERS!" He shouted.

The five of them descended on Noah, tickling him, kissing him, mussing his hair…and finally, they clinked glasses and drank to the occasion.

"Ok," Brooke huffed, "Let's, um, open more presents."

…..

Olivia had actually forgotten about Carisi until she noticed a text flash on her phone's screen.

 _Hey, Lieu, I'm gonna come on over if it's still ok…just let me know a good time._

The only unopened presents were the two Olivia and Ed saved for each other, and those were being reserved for _way later._ Sarah and Brooke were attempting to play Thomas Uno with Noah, but he was more concerned with the train images than with the actual game. Still, they were allowing him to win, making up rules as he threw down cards.

Jeff and Ed chatted about home renovations, and Ed showed him pictures of apartments he and Olivia had spotted for possible purchase. They had resigned themselves to the reality that, to afford a place large enough and in the same general neighborhood, they were going to have to buy a fixer-upper. Staying in Manhattan was a priority, but the real estate market was increasingly tight; Ed toyed around with the idea of selling the North Carolina condo and, of course, he would eventually sell his apartment when Brooke moved out, but, still, they were cops, not millionaires.

Olivia interrupted the various activities, "Hey, guys? Do you mind if one of my detectives stops by? I told him we'd play cards or something and he didn't have anything to do."

"Not at all," Sarah said immediately.

Ed already knew about Carisi and Jeff shrugged.

Brooke remained silent, pretending to be engrossed with Noah. Sarah wasn't going to let her escape, "Brookey? Is it ok with you?"

"Yeah, sure."

Carisi arrived an hour later bearing two bottles—wine and champagne—and a tray of Italian Christmas cookies which his mother baked.

That reminded Olivia of the soup, "Oh, no, Carisi, I completely forgot to send your mother a note about the soup. I'm so sorry. I'll write one tonight."

"It's no problem. I showed her your text. She's just glad it helped. Did you have some, Captain?"

"I did. It was great. We lived off it for a week."

Carisi was obviously pleased with Ed's approval. "You know, Captain, there's just something about it…cures everything."

"My mother cures everything with gin."

Sarah, like Rollins and Fin, appeared disgusted not only with Carisi's goveling but with Ed's affinity for him. She forced her way into the conversation, "So…you're a De-tec-tive."

"Yes. Also a lawyer."

Sarah looked like she'd been electrocuted. "What?"

"I'm a detective and a lawyer."

"You're kidding."

"No."

Olivia came to his defense, "We got Carisi a couple years ago and we love him, so we won't let him leave just yet."

"Well if Olivia likes you, then I like you. And, what do detectives-slash-lawyers drink?"

"A beer would be great." It was more of a question than a request.

Ed listed the options and Sonny settled on a porter which pleased Brooke. She came over to the kitchen, shoving the UNO cards into the sleeve. "That Brooklyn Brewery holiday spiced porter is so good. They only make a few batches, so I'm glad we got some."

"Yeah," Carisi said, taking a drink, "there was this one place that used to have something similar in this neighborhood, actually, but they closed. This is really good."

Sarah directed the action. She had met Olivia's eye several times since Carisi arrived and they exchanged devious glances. Brooke and Olivia frequently met for coffee or drinks to chat, but Sarah and Olivia had a special norm of unspoken communication between the two of them.

"Daddy," Sarah looked at him with her wide-eyed innocent expression, "What do you want to play?"

"Cards or board game?"

"Well, there are six of us, so, Rummy, Scattergories, or, oh, also, Cranium."

"Scattergories."

"Ok good."

Olivia took Noah's hand and led him towards the back of the apartment. "Guys, Noah has to go night-night. Noah, say thank you to everyone."

Instead of delivering a blanket "thank you," Noah addressed each person individually, but he got tripped up when he got to Carisi. "That's Sonny," Olivia reminded him.

"Tank you, Sonny," he said.

"You want help?" Ed asked.

"No, stay here and get set up. I'll be right back. Say night-night to Dada, Noah."

Noah reached out for Ed so forcefully that Olivia released him into Ed's embrace. Their faces were millimeters from one another. "Did you have a good Christmas, bud?"

Noah nodded.

"I love you."

"Love you, Dada."

"Get some sleep now, ok?"

"I have Santa PJs."

"You do."

"I go to sleep."

"Yeah, bud, I'll see you in the morning. Night night."

"Night night."

Ed kissed him and handed him back to Olivia.

Everyone was staring.

"What?" He asked innocently.

"Dad, I bet if Noah asked you to shut down Manhattan right now you would do it."

Ed was unapologetic. "Probably."

Olivia returned, but she pretended to take some time preparing her drink before joining everyone else at the table. Brooke and Sarah were wearing their necklaces. In fact, as soon as they opened the boxes, they immediately jettisoned their previous neckware.

"Olivia!" Brooke gasped. She had seen the Peretti pendants before and admired them. "This is _soooo_ gorgeous."

Sarah, astonished, simply ran over and collapsed into Olivia's lap, hugging her head.

When Sarah released her from the death grip, Olivia launched into a mini-speech of her own, "You two have been so loving and welcoming to me and Noah. I wanted you to have something special. From me to you."

At that moment Ed went to the bathroom because he felt tears welling in his eyes.

…

Brooke began Scattergories by laying out the ground rules.

"Nouns only," she instructed. "No adjectives or sentences," she glared at Sarah who held up her hands.

"Ok, ok, sister. I surrender. I will behave."

They played several rounds. Carisi acted normally. He was cordial to everyone and didn't seem at all partial to Brooke even though the two of them did occasionally engage in side conversations. However, it wasn't enough to arouse suspicion and Sarah was displeased, but only Olivia recognized it.

"I know they're together," Sarah whispered to Olivia as the two of them refilled drinks in the kitchen.

"Together?"

" _Look_ at them. They are miserable."

Carisi's behavior did not strike Olivia as abnormal, but Brooke had been uncharacteristically quiet. "Should I talk to her?"

Sarah shook her head. "Let her deal with it."

"That's not nice."

Sarah took a drink of the Prosecco, "If we're right, she's not nice for not telling us."

If anything was going on between Carisi and Brooke, it remained a secret for the time being. Not wanting to overstay his welcome, he politely excused himself before it got too late.

"Everyone, I should get going. It's late."

Sarah begged him to stay, "It's not late. And, we're not going anywhere." She pointed to the window. "Lookit." Not only was snow falling, but the wind had kicked up. "It's nasty out there."

Tucker appeared to be ok with Carisi staying longer and so did Olivia. "Roll again," Ed said.

Scattergories ended and they moved to Rummy before deciding to end the night with _A Christmas Story._ They were all tired and drunk and full, but _A Christmas Story_ needed to be watched. Miraculously, they all stayed awake.

"Daddy, I'm just gonna stay here," Sarah mumbled after the movie was over. She was nearly drooling into Noah's new beanbag.

Ed looked at Jeff and Brooke disapprovingly.

"C'mon, Sare," Jeff lifted her, "We're going to Brooke's."

Sarah cooperated. "We don't have to go back to Philly until Tuesday, so we'll see you before we leave. Then there's the wedding! Daddy, wait 'til you see Livvie in her dress. _Wowser_ is all I can say."

Ed gazed at Olivia, who was dressed in a red sweater and jeans. She smiled back at him, as if she were offering a little tease _. I really do look hot in the dress, baby._

Brooke noticed Carisi shifting from foot to foot not sure what to do, "Um, Sonny, come with us, we're gonna hit this dive Sarah loves.

"It's open?"  
"Yep."

"Ok."

…..

"So here we are," Ed said dramatically, "One last gift."

"I'm already…feeling so loved."

Olivia handed Ed a small box. Inside was a pair of titanium cufflinks engraved with Ed's initials. The gift explained the shirts Ed opened earlier.

"See how the other end is kind of an O?"

He examined them further. "Love it."

"Here's yours."

She unwrapped the small box and held the necklace up for examination.

"It's pure turquoise," he explained. "You know, turquoise is the stone of the gods…that's why the ancients always adorned themselves with turquoise. It's for royalty."

She made a fist around the necklace.

"And to me, Liv, you are royalty."

 _What else was there to say?_

She fell onto the couch and he collapsed on top of her. They made love among the discarded wrapping paper and half-opened boxes and held each other afterwards.

"In a week we'll be married, " Olivia said.

Ed sighed.

"What?"

"I've wanted to marry you _forever_. I'm impatient."

" _Forever_? _Right_."

"It just took us a long time to find each other. But we did. I'm too lucky. I can't wait to marry you."

 **WEDDING**!


	19. Chapter 19

_The vows might be a little much, but I can't help it. Enjoy!_

 **#Tuckson Wedding**

"Liv, we're gonna get going."

Tucker did not harbor any superstitions about seeing the bride before the wedding, but Olivia thought it would be more romantic if they arrived separately. Ed was taking Noah to Brooke's apartment where they were going to hang out with Jeff and watch bowl game preview shows. Brooke and Sarah were on their way over to the apartment to help prep Olivia.

The bride-to-be was currently lounging casually on the sofa. An outsider would have no idea she was getting married in a few short hours. She reached out for Noah and kissed him. "I'll see you handsome guys in bit."

Ed watched her intently.

She smiled. " _Yes_?"

"You're really marrying me, right?" He was only partially joking.

She went over to him and rubbed his arms reassuringly, "One o'clock. Rockefeller Center. Meet me there."

"Don't be late."

"Of course not."

Ed slung two garment bags, one large and the other toddler-sized, over his shoulder and grabbed Noah's hand. "C'mon, bud, we're going to see Jeff."

Confusion crossed Noah's face, "Get married today?"

"Yeah, but we're seeing Jeff first so mommy can get ready with Brookey and Sarah." Noah accepted the explanation and allowed himself to be led out of the apartment.

….

Brooke and Sarah began fussing over Olivia immediately, and they talked about her as if she weren't there.

"Ok, how are we gonna do her hair?"

"Up-do"

"No, Dad likes it down."

"Maybe just partially pulled back in a clip."

"Ok, makeup. I brought my whole kit."

"Smoky eyes."

"Which one of these lipsticks?"

"Not too red."

Entertained, Olivia leaned back against the stove and observed as the girls sorted through the beauty supplies they'd brought which were now taking up all available counter space.

"Ladies?"

Brooke and Sarah's heads snapped up.

"We don't have much time, and if we're late, your Dad may have a panic attack."

"So in other words," Sarah said, "let's make some fucking decisions." Although she loved Noah with all her heart, she was happy to not have to filter her potty mouth.

Sarah plugged in the curling iron and got to work on Olivia's brown locks. "Your hair is so thick and gorgeous, Livvie. I want it."

"You and Brooke have great hair."

"But it's not as thick as yours."

"I'm mad I cut mine," Brooke lamented.

"I told you not to do that," Sarah reminded her. She then started wrapping sections of Olivia's hair around the iron. "If I get through your whole head without burning myself, I'll be shocked."

Brooke poured three glasses of Pinot Grigio. "How are you feeling, Olivia?"

Olivia's head was being yanked back and forth by Sarah. "I'm good. I'm ready."

Sarah craned her neck around from behind to look Olivia in the eye. "No freaking out?"

"Not so far."

"Well, that's good. As you know, I was freaking out for weeks before I married Jeff. Sometimes, I still wake up and almost hyperventilate."

Brooke closed her eyes and shook her head, " _Gawwwd_ , you're so dramatic. You must drive Jeff nuts."

"Oh, I do," she reported glibly, but he's stuck around so far."

Sarah babbled on. "Livvie, what does Dad do that really annoys you?"

"Nothing so far. I suppose, well, he annoyed me for about twelve years, so does that count?"

Brooke and Sarah both cracked up.

"They should write a book about you guys," Sarah said as she went back to curling Liv's hair.

Brooke agreed, "At the very least, the ending would be a shocker."

…..

Meanwhile, the boys, at least the adult ones, cracked beers and parked themselves on Ed's old brown couch. The television was tuned to ESPN.

"Are you nervous?" Jeff asked.

Ed took a swig and lied. "No."

"I was incredibly nervous when we got married."

"Why's that?"

Jeff scrunched up his face. "I don't know. A lot of things. It's a huge step. And also, you know Sarah, there was a chance she wouldn't show up."

 _After I spent all that money she was damn well going to show up._

Ed laughed. "Coincidentally enough…I had to double check with Liv before I left."

"It probably crosses everyone's mind I guess."

"It would be a horrible feeling."

Jeff looked at Ed earnestly, "I have to tell you, I hope Sarah and I are as happy as you and Olivia are when…" Jeff didn't want to say _old_ , but he struggled to find a more diplomatic way of saying it.

Usually Ed liked to see him sweat, but he finished the sentence for his son-in-law, "in your fifties?"

"Uh-huh," Jeff said sheepishly then, surprised, asked, "Olivia's that old?"

"She'll be fifty next year."

"I would've guessed way younger. Anyway, you two are great. Sarah's always going on and on about how much she loves Olivia."

Ed rolled his eyes, "Yeah, you'd think she wants to marry her."

"I _know_."

Feeling surprisingly at ease chatting with Jeff about things more personal than sports, Tucker brought up Angela. "It's good, though, that Sarah, and Brooke for that matter, got so close to Liv. They don't exactly have a great relationship with their mother."

"Sarah and I spend a lot of time complaining about our mothers…for various reasons." Jeff whistled, "Whoooweee, poor Olivia. Everyone wants her to be their mom."

"I don't think she minds."

….

Brooke slid the plastic from the dress and gasped.

"What?" Alarm filled Sarah's face.

Panic shot through Olivia's gut and she rushed over to inspect the dress. It had been wrapped and in the closet since she bought it. What could have possibly happened?

Brooke held something in her hand. "Dad, um, left this for you."

Olivia read the note aloud, "I saw this _something blue_ when I was out the other day and thought it belonged around your neck. Love, Ed."

Sarah swooned. "Oh. My. _Gawwwwwd_." She fanned herself dramatically and fell on the bed.

Brooke handed the necklace to Olivia and she held it up so the blue topaz pendant could catch the sunlight streaming through the window. It was the color of Ed's eyes.

"Should I text him?"

Sarah shook her head, "No. It'll be more romantic if you just have it on when you walk down the aisle."

"You can thank him later," Brooke teased.

"And, by the way, I'm gonna bitch Jeff out later for not doing something like that for me."

"Maybe he did…he just put it on the wrong dress."

Sarah playfully shoved her sister, but it was true that Sarah had a few different dress options lined up and had chosen at the last minute.

Before leaving, Olivia double and triple checked that she had the ring and her vows in her handbag even though she planned to say them from memory. While she wasn't experiencing any nerves, the competitiveness in her wanted to at least match the powerful words Ed had boasted about weeks ago.

"Well, Livvie dear, when you walk back in here later, you'll be Mrs. Ed Tucker."

"She's not changing her name," Brooke corrected.

"That's not the point. The next time she's home, she'll be a married woman."

Olivia broke the news about her decision to keep her name shortly after Ed proposed. She expected him to protest, he did admit some mild disappointment, but he understood the need to keep her professional identity and trying to toggle back and forth between the two in some sort of personal-professional hybrid would be frustrating. She promised to leave the possibility open, but for now she was keeping Benson.

Sarah gave Olivia one final inspection. "Stunning."

Brooke agreed. "Dad's gonna die."

"Let's hope not," Sarah replied, "It would be a shame for him to miss the wedding _night_. You know what's funny? Our wedding night was, like, the worst sex we ever had. We were so fucked up. I don't even remember all of it. So maybe it wasn't so bad. I'll ask Jeff."

Brooke waved off the suggestion. "Really, we don't need to know. Not necessary."

Olivia, with exaggerated sincerity, assured Sarah that she and Ed would go easy on the alcohol.

…

The ceremony began promptly at one o'clock. The guests were seated in rows of chairs set up in the year-round section of the garden, creating the illusion they were in the middle of a snow-filled oasis.

Judge Linden, who had generously agreed to perform the ceremony, stood under a floral arch with Ed and Noah at her side. Sarah and Brooke left Olivia alone and walked in, taking their places opposite Ed and Noah. Ed felt weakness in his legs; their presence meant the ceremony would begin very soon. He leaned down to whisper to Noah.

"Ready, bud?"

"We get married now?" Noah asked innocently.

The Judge smiled down at him and then at Ed. "He's grown so much. The last time I saw him he was just over a year old."

"Yeah, he got his first bike for Christmas."

The string trio increased its volume. Outside, Olivia spent her final moments alone lost in thought.

"I heard you needed someone to walk you down the aisle?"

She turned to see a smiling Captain Cragen and she grinned back at him. "Captain, thank you for coming."

"I'm honored you asked."

"Any words of wisdom?"

"Don't bust his chops too much, and make sure he takes care of you."

"He does."

"Then I couldn't be more thrilled for you." Cragen offered his arm and led her away.

Ed tried not to audibly gasp when he saw her. His breath caught in his throat. Olivia's long, ivory sheath hugged her body perfectly. Lace sleeves covered her arms and the topaz sparkled. Soft curls framed her face. Sarah's makeup job was darker than Olivia wore on a daily basis, and a burgundy lip gloss added a pleasant shimmer to the sultry look. For what seemed like the zillionth time, Ed had to remind himself she really was _for him_.

People in the first couple rows chuckled at Noah. "Whoa! Mommy's pretty! Look, Dada!" He pointed excitedly to Olivia and Cragen who were now halfway down the aisle.

Olivia scanned the guests' faces at first but then kept her eyes focused on Ed and Noah, both dressed identically in black suits, white shirts, and ties which matched the topaz pendant.

Cragen gallantly passed Olivia's arm to Ed and nodded. "Congratulations, Tucker."

Judge Linden began the ceremony with kind words about Olivia and Ed, commending them for dedicating their professional lives to public safety and "through that line of work you found safety, security, and _love_ with each other. That is precious."

Ed squeezed her hand.

"I understand you have written your own vows?"

They nodded.

Olivia went first. "When you mentioned we were going to write our own vows, I was…apprehensive. I don't know if it's possible for me to convey exactly what I'm feeling right now and have been feeling for the past year. It took me…I believe…a lot longer than it took you to get used to the idea of _us_." She giggled a little bit even though she was already starting to tear up, "But then, when I opened myself up to you, I discovered how much capacity I had to love and how much better my life was with you in it. You have become…my best friend and lover, Noah's Daddy," she had to pause and collect herself, "you complete our lives, you take care of us, and you do it so selflessly that sometimes I forget _you_ need to be taken care of, too. So, I promise…to never take you for granted, to be _your_ rock, and to never forget how fortunate I am to have found you."

Ed took a deep breath and began talking. "I wrote multiple versions of what I wanted to say today, but I didn't bring any of them with me. I love you for so many reasons and in so many ways, words just don't do it justice." He noticed a second round of tears welling in Olivia's eyes. "Also, the words I'd written didn't explain, can't explain, how lucky I feel and how committed I am. I felt that from the start. From that time we first had drinks, my life, suddenly, was all about you. It was about trying to savor every moment when we were together and missing you terribly when we weren't. It was an addiction to all things _you_. These rings, this marriage, this permanence—it means the world to me. I don't have to worry about being without you anymore, and I will spend the rest of my life protecting you and Noah and making sure the two of you are happy and that you never, ever want for anything. I love you. Forever. Always."

Even Judge Linden had to blink back a tear or two, but she collected herself and took them through the traditional vows. They said their "I dos" and exchanged rings, both classic wedding bands. Finally, the judge declared them husband and wife.

"Kiss the bride, Captain Tucker," she instructed with a smile.

Ed paused for a second and held her face in his hands. He didn't say anything, but love and affection oozed from his eyes. They did it. Olivia Benson was his wife.

Then he kissed her, opening his mouth just a little to make it intimate enough but not so R-rated to be inappropriate. Noah, who had been dutifully standing by for the brief ceremony now tugged at Tucker's pant leg. Ed finished the kiss and picked him up.

"This next part is about you bud."

Instead of walking back down the aisle as husband and wife, there was one more loose end that needed tying before they were officially family. Judge Linden briefly disappeared but returned with a familiar manila folder and a pen. "I have reviewed the amended adoption papers requesting that Captain Tucker be named as Noah's adoptive father. The process in cases like these is quick and everything is in order and approved. I thought now would be an appropriate time to officially sign the forms."

Judge Linden signed two copies, folded one together with the marriage certificate, and handed the papers to Olivia.

"Congratulations."

The string trio began playing again and they walked out with Sarah, Brooke, and Jeff, all together, in a huddle rather than a procession. The photographer took several pictures, not nearly as many as at Sarah's wedding, and then they returned to their guests who had been ushered into another area where waiters and bartenders stood at the ready. Considering it was New Year's Eve, Olivia was reluctant to have an elaborate reception, but Sarah and Brooke insisted on appetizers and drinks…and a wedding dance for the bride and groom.

There were only thirty or so guests, so Sarah had no problem getting their attention. "Everyone, everyone, gather around. Thank you so much for being here to see my Daddy marry my Livvie. Please have a few drinks and have some food before you go out and party on. But, right now, Dad and Liv, come on, I know you said no dancing, but you have to have the first dance as husband and wife."

Ed took Olivia's hand and led her to the space in front of the string trio. To their surprise, Rollins emerged from the crowd and whispered something to the bandleader. "You didn't know I could sing, didja?"

Ed took Olivia in his arms and Rollins began. The song was Roy Orbison's _You Got It_ and the detective put on her own, impressive soulful twist. The performance was engineered thanks to Christmas Eve collusion among Carisi, Sarah, and Brooke.

Among the guests were Ed's mother and siblings, his partner, and a few other assorted relatives and friends. Very few people on Olivia's guest list were unrelated to the NYPD. Fin and Carisi were technically on duty, but they came anyway, leaving the precinct in the hands of the new sergeant. Cragen brought Eileen, Munch showed up, and so did Elliot and Kathy. Olivia was glad they had decided to come; since leaving SVU, Stabler completely removed himself from the fold. The only person missing was Amaro.

All of these people watched now as _IAB Ed Tucker_ held their Olivia Benson close as Rollins serenaded them. Pleasant expressions and smiles crossed most of the faces; it was only Stabler who, though not displeased, did not look completely happy. Of all of Olivia's current and former colleagues, Stabler was the last one to find out about Tucker. He still hadn't talked directly with her about it and while he was happy for her, it was still a strange pairing. Also, he harbored a great deal of animosity towards Ed and probably always would. Still, he wanted to be there for his former partner.

 _Anything at allllllll_

 _Babyyyyyy_

 _You got it_

Rollins grinned from ear to ear as she finished the song, but then bent over, completely spent. Ed and Olivia each hugged and thanked her.

"That was fantastic!" Olivia exclaimed. "I had no idea!"

"I used to take lessons," she replied, "thought I wanted to be an actress…but I went to the academy instead."

Ed was extra gentlemanly. "Great job, Rollins."

Carisi, not wanting to be left out especially where Tucker was involved, darted over. "Captain," he shook Ed's hand vigorously, "First of all, congrats you two, and Lieu, you're beautiful. I love that dress. Captain Tucker, your words…" Carisi shook his head in amazement, "When I get married I want _you_ to write my vows."

"I bet you'll be able to come up with something."

"Listen, we gotta get back to the precinct, enjoy the rest of your time off, Lieutenant. We got it covered. Everything's all good." Carisi hugged Olivia and slapped a bewildered-looking Ed on the back. "Let's all get together sometime soon."

Olivia and Ed mingled among the guests and Noah ran around at first, but he quickly gravitated back to his parents' side. When they encountered the Stablers, Elliot broke into a genuine smile as he hugged Olivia. "Congratulations, Liv. It's good to see you so happy."

"Thank you for coming." She reached down and tousled her son's hair, "This is Noah. Noah, meet Elliot." Noah clung to her leg and shyly bit his lip.

Stabler and Kathy both squatted and said hello to Noah. "He's adorable," Kathy gushed. "I'm just overjoyed for you Olivia."

Stabler's smile faded slightly as he shook Ed's hand, "Well, Tucker, if you can't beat 'em join 'em, right?"

Ed took the attempt at good-natured humor in stride. "Yeah, definitely easier that way." As per his norm when he felt threatened, Ed put his arm around Olivia's waist. She felt his fingers press into her side just above the hip.

Stabler shifted his attention back to Olivia. "So, _Lieutenant_ , how do you like being the boss?"

"It's good. Good. Sometimes a bit overwhelming and frustrating, but," she shrugged, "I'm wired for it."

"Did you have a nice Christmas?" Kathy asked.

"We did. Lovely, actually. Lots of laughs…and," she looked down at Noah who was tugging at his tie, "toys."

"Dada, Dada, you take this off please?" Ed knelt down, unknotted the tie, and put it in his pocket.

"So polite," Kathy remarked.

Olivia laughed, "I think he's showing off. He's not always like that."

"Maybe it's the clothes," she said, "Mine always behaved better when they were dressed up."

Olivia and Kathy traded kid stories for a little while longer while Ed and Elliot fidgeted and pretended to people watch. Ed was tempted to use Noah to extricate himself from the uncomfortable situation, but just as he was thinking about suggesting he and Noah go see Caroline, Kathy announced she and Elliot had to leave.

"Maureen's flying in today," Elliot explained.

"Well, tell everyone I said hi," Olivia said, "And, again, thank you for being here."

Most guests were beginning to leave. The reception was intended to be brief so people could get on with their holiday plans. Sarah suggested they hit Quinn's on the way back home, but both Brooke and Ed objected.

"We have Noah, remember?" Brooke pointed out.

Ed didn't say anything, but it didn't take a seasoned detective to decipher the look on his face.

"You and Jeff can go out though, I don't mind."

"No, no, let's watch kid movies and eat junk food."

Olivia hugged everyone. "Thank you for taking him. I think, yeah, Ed, you took his bag, right?"

"I did."

"Everything he might need is in the bag."

"Ok, well, let's _go_ ," Ed said impatiently.

….

"Should I carry you over the threshold?"

Olivia did not take him seriously, but Ed's expression was sincere.

"Ah, I think we can skip that tradition." She followed him inside and tugged at his coattails. "Speaking of tradition…you, sir, are a stickler, aren't you?"

He turned around, smirking. "I don't know what you're talking about."

She glared at him with mock annoyance and put her fingers on the necklace.

"Oh, _that_."

"Brooke found it first, and I thought Sarah was going to pass out."

Ed looked slightly let down, and Olivia reached out for him. "Hey, _husband_ …don't look so sad on your wedding day. It's a good thing Brooke found it, and Sarah was so funny, I didn't even cry…my makeup was already done. We would have had to redo it, and –"

"You woulda been late," he finished for her, and the grin he'd worn all day returned.

"So…thank you. That was so thoughtful and so romantic. But now I don't care about the makeup, so..." She gave him a few kisses and leaned her head back to gaze into his eyes.

He smoothed her hair. "You always look gorgeous, Liv, but, when I saw you for the first time today, I…I had trouble breathing. You're perfect. And, like I said, I'm so lucky."

"We both are. And…I think you won."

"Won?"

"I remember you challenging me about the vows…remember?"

"Yeah. You think I won?"

"They were so sweet, so heartfelt…and I don't think anyone there expected it."

Ed could care less about what other people thought. "They were for _you_."

"And mine were for you."

"There was one thing I forgot though, and, I don't know, maybe it woulda been weird to say."

"What?"

"About Sarah and Brooke. They're adults…but you're so important to them. And what Sarah said on Christmas, that toast she made, she summed it up pretty good. Thank you for, well, they can be a handful, even in their twenties—"

"I love them…and I love that we can have some girls-only time."

Ed's eyes softened and dropped down to her cleavage. "Just tell me when it's husband and wife time," he said softly and suggestively.

They were still standing in the living room in each other's arms. Olivia moved her hands from his neck to the back of his head and guided him to her lips. He kissed back, but giggled a little as he murmured, "I guess that would be now."

Ed once requested to stay in bed with Olivia all day, and, for the rest of _this day_ at least, he got his wish.

….

A few minutes before midnight the newlyweds moved from the bedroom to the living room so they could watch the ball drop on the larger of the apartment's two televisions.

"I'm warning you, the song makes me cry."

Olivia crying tears of joy was not something new to Ed. "Me too."

"You're lying."

Ed flopped on the couch. "Busted," he confessed with exaggerated remorse. He held out his arms. "Punish me."

Olivia handed him a glass of champagne which neither of them liked very much but drank anyway out of obligation to the holiday and to Brooke who purchased the expensive bottle of Veuve Clicquot. "Is making you drink champagne punishment?"

He took a drink. "Actually, no. This isn't bad."

"Then I'll have to come up with something else."

"You have exactly twelve minutes, 'cause after the clock strikes midnight we're going back to bed."

"You know, you're such a bad liar. That is so strange."

Ed screwed up his face. "You want me to be better at it?"

"One would think you _would_ be better at it."

"It's just that you have such keen detective skills. Not to mention skills in _other areas_."

She winked seductively at him and raised her glass. "To 2017."

"To _us_ ," he added.

They kept their eyes on one another as they each took a sip.

"Ed, I love you so much."

He frowned a little. "It almost seems like, _I love you_ , it's not enough. There must be other words."

She edged closer to him so she was almost in his lap. "I don't think there are…but, you are very good at showing it. You know, _nonverbally_."

A coy grin crossed his face. "Lieutenant, are you trying to flatter me?"

"Always."

The countdown had begun.

A mile away in Times Square, revelers counted down from ten, jumped up and down, and generally allowed themselves to be absorbed into the holiday's euphoria. Both Ed and Olivia had lived in New York City their entire lives and, between them, they'd been to Times Square for New Years Eve dozens of times, mostly as police officers and only once or twice as the casual visitor.

"Do you wish we were there?" Olivia asked.

"No way," Ed replied immediately, and even though the countdown was still at three, he kissed her.

"You're early."

"I don't want you to cry."

He took her in his arms and held her tightly.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

As the fireworks and noisemakers popped and squealed, Olivia and Ed fell into their first kiss of 2017. Ed took Olivia's nonverbal compliment to heart and kissed her fiercely but also with a kind of tender passion-a combination he had a knack for pulling off flawlessly. When they finally came to a pause, he whispered, "Happy New Year, baby," his lips still touching hers and his eyes blazing with unbridled desire.

Olivia's eyes were equally lustful. "The first day of our lives."

He met her eyes one more time before leading her back to bed. Electric, intense passion radiated between them. "I'm going to make you so happy."

"You already have."

Finally, their lives were complete.


End file.
